


Lock It Up

by Ashtheshortstack



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Awkward First Times, Awkward Sexual Situations, Discussions of sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, I fell into the sin bin, I suck at writing action, Identity Reveal, In the first chapter, LadyNoir - Freeform, Lots of sarcasm, Marichat, Romance, Sarcasm, Teen Romance, The kids deserve to be happy, There will probably be puns, This all about cuteness, This might count as underage but kids are horny these days, ladrien, relationship progression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 04:09:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11176734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashtheshortstack/pseuds/Ashtheshortstack
Summary: After Marinette is forced to reveal her secret identity to Adrien during an akuma attack, the pair realizes that they may have a lot more in common than they initially thought.





	1. Surprise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, an identity reveal occurs.

“Marinette! Marinette, wake up!”

Sitting straight up in her bed, Marinette let out a panicked cry as she gained her wits. Tikki buzzed in her face. “Marinette! You’re going to be late _again_.”

Consciousness crept into her as she processed her kwami’s words with wide eyes. She blinked in surprise. “What!? Tikki, we gotta go!” Marinette jumped from her bed, thanking her Ladybug powers for her new found agility. She frantically gathered her school supplies and shoved them into her backpack. Quickly changing clothes and fixing her messy pigtails, she nearly tripped over her shoes that lay scattered on the floor.

“Okay, is that everything?” she asked, gazing at Tikki with desperation.

She hummed and glanced around the room. “I think so!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Tikki zipped into her purse, and Marinette stormed out the front door and headed towards the school. At that point, she was so thankful she lived so close to the school. It was always convenient when she woke up late.

As she approached, she noticed Alya leaning against the side of the front steps. She checked an invisible watch on her wrist as Marinette jogged up to her. “Almost late for class again, little lady. What are we going to do with you?”

Marinette groaned as Alya patted her on the head. “I’m sorry. I’m just really tired all the time.”

“You must sleep like the dead,” she teased as she nudged Marinette with her elbow.

Giving a shrug, Marinette scrunched her nose. “I can’t help it.”

The pair ascended the stairs and began their trek to the classroom. Alya snorted. “Well, next time, I’m not waiting on you. I had to turn down Nino’s offer to chill before class.”

“I’m sorry.”

Alya pushed open the door as Marinette trailed behind. “You know, you could use Nino and I as an excuse to hang around a certain someone.”

Marinette slid into her seat. “What do you mean?”

Her best friend waggled her brows and shot her eyes towards a certain blonde boy sitting in front of Marinette. Her face flushed and she shot her head towards Alya. Marinette lifted her book to put a barrier between her and said boy. “I can’t do that, Alya,” she said in a harsh whisper. “I can barely make sentences in front of him.”

Alya shrugged and cupped her hand around her mouth. “I think it’d be a great opportunity to get to know him.”

Sighing in defeat, Marinette put her book down and glanced at Adrien, who was chatting with Nino at the time. “Maybe, you’re right…”

“Of course, I am,” Alya teased as she stuck her tongue out at her friend.

Marinette jokingly rolled her eyes and turned her attention to Miss Bustier, who was walking into the classroom with a large stack of papers. She inwardly groaned at the sight. That looked like far more work than she could handle for the day.

As her teacher gathered their work in order, Marinette watched as Adrien scribbled on a paper, not paying any mind to the fact she was completely staring at him. It wasn’t until Chloe let out an over exaggerated cough that Marinette was pulled from love trance. Majority of the class was startled by her sudden, obnoxious sound.

Adrien turned his head and cocked a brow at her. She eyed Marinette, who assumed that Chloe had caught her staring at the boy before her. Adrien turned his head around to face Marinette. She let out a nervous giggle and waved timidly. He flashed a smile and shook his head as he spun back around in his seat. Marinette frowned and glared in Chloe’s direction. The blonde returned the stare until Miss Bustier cleared her throat to catch the students’ attention.

She simply couldn’t help it every time that she glanced up at Adrien while copying down notes. It was just impossible. How could someone so handsome _not_ be distracting? Those eyes, that hair… he was amazing. Not to mention, one of the sweetest boys she had ever met. No, _the_ sweetest. She couldn’t stop thinking about him. What would it be like if he ever returned her feelings? For him to smile at her like that all the time? To hug him? To _kiss_ him?

Marinette squeaked in her seat and felt herself flush slightly. Kissing Adrien was something she had thought about before, obviously, but being in the moment with him right in front of her made her more embarrassed at the thought. Were his lips soft? Probably. He had a high-tech smart phone, so he probably had tons of beauty products. Adrien was a model, after all.

Maybe, Alya was right. Maybe, riding on the coattails of Nino and Alya’s relationship _was_ a decent way to get to know Adrien. Marinette may have known everything _about_ Adrien, but that didn’t mean she actually _knew_ knew him.

A scream from outside rocked Marinette from her thoughts. Her head whipped towards the direction of the sound. The other students began looking around frantically. She hardened her brows. _An akuma?_

After another scream sounded, she and the rest of the students rushed over to the windows to catch a glimpse at whatever was occurring.

“Is that a—giant _jewelry box?_ ” Nino quipped.

Marinette eyed the large box that was in fact shaped like a jewelry box with a lock on the front. It was a pastel pink, and as she looked around she noticed that there were tons of them spread around the streets. What were those things?

“Miss Bustier, I need to go to the bathroom,” Adrien stated hurriedly.

Miss Bustier furrowed her brows. “At a time like this? That could be dangerous, Adrien.”

Seeing her chance, Marinette spoke up. “I need to go to the bathroom too, Miss Bustier.”

The teacher sighed. “Fine, but you two have to go together. Walk together and wait on each other, got it? Use the buddy system.”

Marinette gritted her teeth nervously and glanced at Adrien who seemed to be doing the same. “Right.”

_Great. How am I supposed to ditch Adrien of all people?_

The pair followed each other to the bathroom, but neither made a move to go inside. Adrien rubbed his neck awkwardly. “U-Um, ladies first?”

“No! You go! I-I mean… Y-You don’t really have to go to the bathroom, do you?” Marinette asked.

He chuckled. “What makes you think that?”

“Well—I… You’re stalling?”

“I have to leave. My father always wants me back home during akuma attacks.”

She nodded. “My parents prefer that I’m home too.”

“I’ll walk you down the stairs, at least? After Ladybug and Chat Noir take care of it, I can meet you here and walk you back to class, so that Miss Bustier doesn’t think we left?”

“Y-Yeah. Good sounds—I-I mean, sounds good.”

Adrien snorted at her blunder and walked with her down the stairs, only to see two people suddenly being zapped and imprisoned inside one of the human sized jewelry boxes they saw before. She and Adrien both dashed over to the box. He put his ear to it and knocked. “Hello? Are you okay?”

“Yes!” came a muffled reply, “please help!”

He swiftly turned to Marinette. “We’d better get out of here.”

“Right,” she replied with a bob of her head.

As the two began to take off in opposite directions, Marinette saw a flash of something scurry beside her. _That must be the akuma._ She continued to dart away from the villain, so she could find a safe spot to transform. Hearing the laughter of the akuma behind her, she knew she had to get away in a hurry.

“Marinette! Look out!”

Suddenly, she was being tackled as she stiffened her body, waiting for the empending blow to the ground only for it to never come. Marinette opened her eyes and looked up, only to see the face of Adrien Agreste wincing before her.

She squeaked and pushed herself to move away from him only to hit her head on something above her. Glancing up, she realized that they were trapped inside one of the jewelry boxes. Her face flushed when she made eye contact with Adrien who she was pressed chest to chest with.

“U-Um…”

His own cheeks pinked slightly. “T-The akuma is called Pendant. Something about her sister breaking her jewelry box from their grandmother. That’s all I really got before she tried to attack you.”

“I should’ve been paying more attention, I’m sorry,” she replied while holding in all thoughts that she was so close to her crush.

Adrien shifted slightly, sitting up to see her more properly.  “Why did you go that way anyway, Marinette? You live the other direction.”

“Oh! I was just trying to—um—see the flowers that were this way?”

He cocked a brow at her.

“I can’t really explain…”

Thankfully, he dropped the subject and reached past Marinette to try and push on the top of the box. “It won’t budge. Great. We’ll just have to wait for Ladybug to rescue everyone.”

Her mouth popped open a little. “Um, Chat Noir could save us too.”

Adrien hissed slightly. “Yeahhh… but I’m sure Ladybug will be fine without him.”

She scoffed. “Why are you so sure he won’t be there? Actually, he could use cataclysm to get us out of this box, and that would be super helpful right now. Maybe, he’s out there and we can get his attention.”

“What’s the rush to get out?” Marinette gaped as another layer of flush coated her cheeks. Adrien’s own face reddened as he tried his best to recover. “I-I mean, like, I’m sure L-Ladybug will—a-and Chat Noir will take care of it.”

Chewing her bottom lip, Marinette _tried_ to come up with a solution. How could they get out? Chat Noir couldn’t cleanse the akuma without her. He never broke the infected item. Her partner had always let her do it because she could cleanse the akuma quicker that way. The pair wasn’t even for certain that the item _would_ break for him unless he used cataclysm.

She sighed. “We—We can’t wait to be rescued by Ladybug, Adrien. We have to get out of here…”

There was only one solution Marinette could come up with: transform and figure out a way to escape. She could at least call Chat on her yoyo if she transformed. He could come destroy the box if she told him where she was. Explaining why she was trapped in the jewelry box with Adrien would be a difficult task, but she could manage. This akuma wasn’t going to take care of itself.

But that would mean telling _Adrien_ , of all people, her secret.

Adrien wasn’t a bad guy, by all means. She just didn’t want to have to entrust _anyone_ with her secret. And she certainly didn’t want to put Adrien in any danger because of this. There was no other choice though.

She looked him square in the eyes. A fired burned in the pit of her stomach as she did so. Marinette let out a small sigh. “I’ll explain everything later. You have to promise to keep a secret.”

He cocked a brow. “What are you talking about?"

“Please, just promise.”

“I don’t understan--”

 _“Please,_ ” she begged.

“Okay,” he held his hands up in defense as much as he could in the cramped space. “I promise, but please, just explain what’s going on.”

Taking in a quick breath, she chewed her lip and gazed up at him through her lashes. “I—I have to transform and call Chat Noir, so he can get us out of here. He can’t cleanse the akuma without me.”

Adrien’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “Are you saying you’re--?”

“Tikki, spots on,” she said as her eyes never left Adrien’s. Her transformation was bright in the box, but he only gaped at her as she gave him an awkward grin. “S-Surprise?”

“Marinette… You’re Ladybug.”

Her brows furrowed nervously under the mask. “I am. You can’t tell anyone. For you own safety? Understand.”

He sighed. “I understand, more than you know.”

“I know this is a big deal, but I have to take care of the akuma first. I’ll explain everything after it’s defeated, okay?”

Adrien said nothing, instead just gazing at her as if contemplating something. Marinette figured he was just really shocked. She knew he was a Ladybug fan from Nino. It’d probably be surprising if you found out your idol was actually the shy, awkward girl that sits behind you in class.

Wiggling on top of him, she managed to wrangle out her yoyo and began her attempt to call her partner. The dots popped up, but no answer. She groaned. “What is he doing? Where is he at?”

She felt Adrien go stiff beneath her. Glancing up at him, she saw his face scrunched up. He let out a breath. “He’s right in front of you,” he murmured almost guiltily.

Ladybug stared at him. “What?”

“I’m Chat Noir.”

Her eyes went wide. “You’re—what!? _You’re_ Chat Noir?!”

Adrien nodded painfully. “Plagg, claws out.”

Marinette couldn’t believe her eyes when a bright green flash engulfed Adrien’s body, leaving Chat Noir in its wake. She simply gaped at him, blinking in response.

Sucking his lip between his teeth, he looked anywhere but her. Finally, he decided to shrug and go with her expression from earlier. “Surprise?”

All her wits rushed into her at once, and instantly, she was a blubbering mess. “You’reChatNoir. I’mLadybug. OhmyGod. We’retogetherallthetime. I’mcrime-fightingpartnerswith _AdrienAgreste_. Ican’tbelievethisishappening. Howisthismylife? This is not—I can’t—What?” She collected herself slightly and took a breath, but her mind began sinking into disbelief again.

“Marinette.”

“How is this even possible? You’re not anything like Chat Noir. But, I guess you are since you’re _him.”_

“Marinette!”

“I just can’t even believe this. How? How? Did Tikki know about this? Oh, my God. If she did, I’m going to be so mad. If she knew it was you all along--”

“My lady!” he cried.

Pausing in her mumbling, Marinette stared at him in shock. That was _Adrien Agreste_ calling her _his_ lady.

She was going to implode.

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look, I’m just as freaked out at you are, but that akuma is running ramped out there and putting who-knows how many people into jewelry boxes. We have to get out there. We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

Swallowing, she gave him a nod. “Yeah, you’re right.”

He smiled at her.

“Cataclysm!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to have a rough start because I'm not great at writing action, but, hopefully, this will get better when I start getting to the actual bonding. 
> 
> Also ignore my overuse of tags. I can't control myself.


	2. You Think I'm Cute?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, the inevitable "talk" happens. But not quite as expected.

 

The pair watched as the young girl scampered over to her mother, who waited with open arms. Ladybug approached the child and handed her the jewelry box that she had cleansed. She beamed and took the pink box from her hand. “You fixed it! Oh, thank you, Ladybug!” she cried while wrapping her arms around the superhero’s waist.

Ladybug smiled and patted her on the head. “It’s no problem. All in a day’s work.”

The mother gazed up at her. “Thank you,” she turned her head to Chat. “Both of you.”

Chat Noir gave a curt nod. “It’s what we do, madam.”

An elder girl floundered over to the mother and daughter in hysterics. “I’m so sorry, Zoé! I didn’t mean to break it. I’m so, so sorry!”

Zoé just giggled and held up the new and improved box. “It’s okay,” she gestured to the spotted hero before her. “Ladybug fixed it.”

“Oh, that’s great!”

As the reunited family continued to chatter, Ladybug began to feel slightly out of place. She glanced over at Chat, who seemed to be slightly uncomfortable too. Glancing back at her, he nodded back towards the Eiffel Tower. “We should go talk?”

She hummed in response with a nod. “Yeah…”

The superheroes slipped away from the reunited family and began their journey towards the tower. Both sprinted across the rooftops, making little eye contract with one another. As the pair landed, Ladybug’s earrings let out a shrill beep.

Having already recharged his kwami earlier after the two escaped the box, he hadn’t really thought about Ladybug needed to recharge after using her Lucky Charm. Chat rubbed his arm awkwardly. “Oh, we can, um, wait if you want to.”

She shook her head. “No, we need to talk about this. It’s not like you don’t know who I am now.”

Nodding, he glanced down at the ground below him. “Maybe, we should go to a wider spot so we don’t fall.”

Though she was uncomfortable and felt more awkward than ever, she couldn’t help the smile that slipped across her features. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Upon reaching the flatter surface, with Chat watching guard, Ladybug released her transformation and caught her kwami in her palms. She fished a cookie from her purse and handed it to the creature, who hummed happily in response. Chat glanced around before releasing his own transformation.

“Ugh, finally! I can’t believe you made me transform you _twice_ , I’m so _weak_ ,” Plagg whined.

Adrien snorted. “Oh, please. I didn’t even use cataclysm the second time. You’re fine.”

The black kwami gave an unimpressed glare. “Cheese, Adrien, where’s my cheese?”

With a sigh, Adrien eyed his kwami. “If I give you cheese with you shut up?”

“Gladly.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and pulled a small piece of camembert out of his shirt pocket. “There, now no more complaining. Or I’ll transform just so I don’t have to listen to you.”

“I’m so mistreated!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Adrien groaned as he held his shirt open for his kwami to fly into the pocket. He glanced over at Marinette who had been watching the exchange. She had her bottom lip sucked between her teeth and bit back a smile. Adrien pouched out his lips before clicking his tongue. “I take it your kwami isn’t as argumentative as mine?”

Marinette let out a snort. “No, quite the opposite, actually.”

“Lucky.”

“Well, you unlucky kitty,” she booped him on the nose, “maybe if you wear the bracelet I gave you, then your luck might change? Hmm?”

He chuckled and cocked a brow. “Oh, really? Did your kwami put some Ladybug magic on it?”

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m not telling,” she chimed with a grin.

“Aw, my lady, I can’t believe you would keep such a secret from me,” he teased placing a hand over his chest in mock offense.

She shrugged. “You’ll live.”

He scoffed and turned his head away as to ignore her.

Marinette let out a giggle, which Adrien couldn’t help but find infectious. He laughed aloud with her and turned his head back to her. Suddenly, the pair fell silent. Realization struck both of them like a bullet in the same moment. They didn’t do this. Chat Noir and Ladybug did, but Adrien and Marinette didn’t. The latter couldn’t help the blush that started to spread across her face. Whether or not he was Chat Noir too, this was still Adrien Agreste. Her long time crush, and the boy she idolized. Here she thought he was so far above her, but in reality he was just a dorky boy who liked lame cat puns. She had him so wrong.

Adrien cleared his throat and looked anywhere but her. “So, um, you’re Ladybug, and I’m Chat Noir. What now?”

What now? She wasn’t sure. She wanted to keep their identities a secret for protection. Realistically, she knew that there may be a day where she had to reveal herself to Chat Noir, but thinking that Adrien would be him? That was an entirely different story. Curling her knees to her chest, Marinette hugged herself tightly. “I don’t—I don’t really know…”

“This is—This is really weird, actually. I never thought that I would know who was really under the mask. It’s amazing, really,” he turned to gaze at her, “you’re amazing.”

She flushed instantly. “N-No, I’m not. I’m not amazing. I’m clumsy and make a mess everywhere I go. I could barely make sentences in front of you until recently.”

“Being clumsy and nervous doesn’t make you any less amazing, Marinette. It’s crazy how I’m just now noticing all of the traits I admired in Ladybug are also the traits I admired in Marinette. Knowing all of you, makes me see Ladybug even more as a whole person,” he explained.

She gave a slight nod. “I guess, I see what you mean. I didn’t know Adrien Agreste likes dumb cat puns.”

“My puns are not dumb, how dare you,” he turned his nose up to her.

Giggling at his antics, she shook her head. “I’m sure you expected Ladybug to be someone different.”

He flicked his gaze back to her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m sure you expected Ladybug to be this confident girl, but I’m not that. I’m just me.” 

“That’s all I want you to be. I didn’t expect Ladybug to be a perfect human being, realistically. We all have flaws. But if falling is what of your flaws, then I’m willing to be there to catch you whenever you need me to.”

Marinette couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Adrien.”

“What about me?”

She tilted her head. “What about you?”

“You’re not upset that I’m Chat Noir, right? For a while there I was sure you didn’t like me?”

Marinette gaped. “No! I like you!”

Adrien felt the blush creep upon his cheeks. “You—do?”

“Yes! You’re nice, kind, a gentleman, I know now that you’re actually funny, sometimes. You’re really talented too, and you’re super smart. And you’re really, really cute and your eyes are just really bright. And—“

“Wait, wait, wait. Did you say I’m _cute?_ ”

She glanced around. “D-Did I say cute?”

“You definitely said I was cute.”

“Ummm…”

He leaned over her with a grin. “You think I’m a handsome, gentleman, Bugaboo?”

 _Yes._ But she certainly wasn’t going to let him know that. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head and pushed him away with a finger to his nose “No, definitely not.”

Adrien let out a snort. “C’mon, now, Marinette, I know how much you hate liars. Don’t start being one now.”

He had her there. He was a clever kitty, that’s for sure. “Fine,” she crossed her arms across her chest. “Maybe, you’re a little cute.”

“Or, maybe, you think I’m pretty hot,” he smarmed with a waggle of his brows.

Her mind flashed to the moment she had accidently left the message when she called him “hot stuff.” She would take that too her grave. A mental note to swear Alya to secrecy was needed for sure. Marinette harrumphed and turned up her nose. “Nope. Definitely not.”

“Do you admire my modeling work, my lady? I bet you have some of my posters.”

Freezing on the spot, she clicked her tongue. “No, of course not. Why would I have posters of you? You’re in my class, that’s totally weird. That’d make me like a stalker…” she waved her hands in his direction. “Not that I’m a stalker.”

“So, you _do_ have posters.”

“I said I didn’t.”

“Pretty sure that rambling just gave you away.”

Sighing in defeat, she scrunched up her nose and eyed him sideways. “So, maybe, I have a few posters. You’re easy on the eyes.”

Adrien let out a chuckle. “If it makes you feel better, I think you’re beautiful.”

The squealish squawk that left Marinette’s body was not human. Her face bloomed red, and she gaped at him in surprise. “R-Really?”

“Really.”

She played with one of her twin tails. “I never thought you’d see me that way.”

He shrugged. “I’ve noticed that life is full of surprises.”

“Yeah…”

Silence fell upon them again as Marinette let all the information soak into her brain. Adrien was Chat Noir. Adrien admired her. Adrien thought she was beautiful. It was almost too much to process. Although, Marinette couldn’t help the small smile that spread across her lips as she thought about what had just occurred.

Suddenly, there was a phone in her face. “Wah?”

Adrien chuckled at her. “Put your number in. We should text. After all, we talk as Chat Noir and Ladybug, why not as Marinette and Adrien? We could really become better friends from this.”

Taking the phone from his hands, she nodded. “Yeah, friends.” Chewing her bottom lip, she put her number in his phone. “Just friends” wasn’t exactly what Marinette had in mind, but she didn’t want to rush anything. This was still Chat Noir.

“Do you want mine?” he asked as she handed him the phone back.

“Nah, just text me and I’ll know it’s you.”

He cocked a brow. “So, my lady doesn’t have any other boys she’s giving her number out to lately?”

She snorted with a shake of her head. “No, why? Would you be jealous if I did?”

Humming thoughtfully, he shrugged with one shoulder. “Maybe a little.”

“Only a little?”

“Cats are territorial.”

“ _Cats_ are. You’re a human boy.”

He scoffed in mock offense. “Excuse you, I am a _man_ , thank you.”

“A puny man.”

“A _cute_ man, according to you.”

She shoved him. “Stooop.”

Glancing down at his phone, Adrien hissed as he noticed the time. “We totally spaced. We were supposed to go back to the classroom. Miss Bustier is going to be livid with us.”

“Not if we tell her what happened.”

“Oh? Tell her we’re Chat Noir and Ladybug who just recently discovered our secret identities?”

Flashing him an unamused look, Marinette responded flatly, “No. We tell her we got trapped in a box.”

He pouched out his lips. “I guess, that works too.”

“School is over now though, so I guess we’ll just tell her tomorrow?”

“Yeah. We got trapped in a box and then went home.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Clearing his throat, he rubbed his palm nervously across the back of his neck. “Um, would you like me to walk you home?”

“As Marinette and Adrien or Chat Noir and Ladybug?”

His lips twitched into a smirk. “I think Marinette and Adrien would be just fine.”

“Chat Noir and Ladybug would have an easier time getting off of the tower though,” she chimed with a poke to his shoulder.

“This is true, but Chat Noir and Ladybug would also get to your house faster, but I want to take time to walk with you. If that’s okay?”

That was it. The blush was back. She squeaked. “Yup! That’s fine!”

Pushing himself to his feet, Adrien stretched his arms above his head with a grunt. He spun around and held a hand out to the blushing girl before him. “You ready, Bugaboo?”

As she took his hand, she felt a bolt of something that felt like electricity surge through her. Marinette was suddenly hyperaware of every action he took. She couldn’t hold back the blush on her cheeks after he intertwined his fingers with hers. He didn’t let go the entire walk to her home.

 

o~o~o~o

 

Pushing open the door to the bakery, Marinette felt herself floating on cloud nine. The ring of the bell popped her mother’s head up to attention. Sabine rushed over to her daughter and enveloped her in a hug. “Honey! We’ve been so worried about you! Miss Bustier called and said she had assumed you had come home during school. She released the class during the akuma attack. I assumed something had happened to you.”

Marinette winced as she leant away from her mother. “I’m so sorry, Maman. I got trapped in one of those jewelry boxes and had to wait out the attack. I got distracted afterwards. I’m sorry.”

“What on earth could have distracted you from coming home after being trapped in a box for an hour?”

Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Marinette avoided all eye contact with her mother. “Um…”

“Marinette,” her mother warned.

She hugged herself slightly while still glancing around nervously. “I may have been stuck in a box with Adrien. He invited me for a walk before walking me home.”

Sabine’s expression changed in an instant as a knowing smile spread across her face. “Oh, I see. Well, next time you and Adrien decide to go for a walk, could you text us and let us know you’re alive?”

Bobbing her head quickly, Marinette frantically replied, “Yes, Maman. I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again. I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

“Thank you, dear,” Sabine chimed.

Beginning to slip her way through the bakery, Marinette turned back to her mother. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

“Alright, I’ll be preparing dinner soon.”

“Okay!” she called as she began to rush up the stairs. Opening her trap door, she bolted into her room. After making sure she properly closed the door behind her, Marinette jumped and squealed.

Tikki flew from her purse and smiled. “I’m so happy for you, Marinette. The two boys you liked are one in the same!”

Marinette scoffed at her kwami as she pranced around her room. “I never said I liked Chat Noir.”

“But you did, just a little bit.”

Pinching her thumb and pointer, Marinette replied to her kwami, “Maybe, just a little. It doesn’t matter though because he’s Adrien! I can’t be any happier.”

“That’s great!” Tikki chimed with a smile at her chosen.

“Tikki, be honest with me,” Marinette said seriously as she glanced at her kwami.

“Of course.”

She tapped her phone to her lips. “Do you—Do you think Adrien likes me?”

Staring flatly at her chosen, Tikki replied, “Duh.”

Marinette fell back against her chaise. “You really think so? Oh, this is a dream come true, Tikki! Adrien likes me! _Adrien!_ ”

“So, what are you going to do with that information?” Tikki asked as she floated over towards the chaise.

Sitting up quickly, Marinette groaned. “I don’t know, actually.”

Tikki giggled. “Well, typically, Marinette, when two people like each other, they tend to become a couple.”

Rolling her eyes, Marinette puffed out her lips. “I know that. I was just thinking about what Adrien said. He said he wanted us to be better _friends_ , Tikki. He might not like me enough to date me.”

Her kwami shrugged. “Maybe, he thinks  _you_ don’t like him in that way?”

Blowing a raspberry with her lips, Marinette waved her kwami off with a hand. “Oh, please, Tikki. I like Adrien so much I embarrass myself in front of him all the time. I’m sure it’s plain obvious.”

Tikki hummed. “I don’t know… You always turned down his flirts and teasing as Ladybug. Plus, you could hardly talk in front of him until you were paired for the gaming tournament. Maybe, he thinks you just see him as a friend?”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Oh, no! Adrien even said he thought I didn’t even like him at all at one point.”

“He did say that, didn’t he?” 

Making fists in front of her, she turned to her kwami with determination. “Okay, Tikki, how do I prove to Adrien that I love him?”

“Take it slow.”

She cocked a brow. “You think that will really work?”

Tikki giggled. “Of course! Adrien’s a romantic at heart. Let him try to woo you. You’re bound to be swept off your feet!”

 “What makes you think he’s a romantic?”

 “Um, the poem?”

 Marinette gasped. “The poem! I wonder if he knows I’m the one who responded to it?”

“That’s too much to think about right now, Marinette. In due time. Just let things happen.”

With a nod, Marinette lay back down on the chaise and scrolled through the Ladyblog.

Not even a moment after she finally relaxed, her phone let out a buzz. She squealed and stared at her phone blankly, ignoring Tikki’s knowing giggle.

_Adrien: My lady, how does the on this fine evening?_

 

She snorted and shook her head.

 

**_Marinette: Are you always like this?_ **

_Adrien: For you, I can be._

**_Marinette: Wow._ **

_Adrien: No, I’ll stop if you want me to._

**_Marinette: I don’t recall complaining about it._ **

_Adrien: Ohhh, my lady likes?_

**_Marinette: You’re a dork._ **

_Adrien: You evaded my question, I must be right._

**_Marinette: Hmm…_ **

_Adrien: I’ll be your knight in shining armor, the Romeo to your Juliet._

**_Marinette: But they both die at the end._ **

_Adrien: Thanks, Mari. Way to make things morbid._

 

Marinette squealed. “He called me ‘Mari,’ ohmigosh he gave me a nickname!”

“Who gave you a nickname?”

She jolted from her spot in the chaise, nearly falling off the side before regaining her balance. Glancing around, she noticed her kwami was nowhere in sight. Tikki must have heard someone coming and hid.

“Alya!” she cried and put a hand over her heart. “You have to stop sneaking up on me like that. You’re going to give me a serious heart attack one day.”

Alya brushed her off with a wave of her hand. “Yeah, yeah. You’ll live. Now, who is this ‘he’ that gave you a nickname?”

“Umm…” she glanced around uncomfortably before hunching her shoulders. “Adrien?”

Her friend gaped at her. “Adrien!? Deets, girl. Now.”

“Well, we were trapped in a jewelry box together. He saw the akuma coming after me and jumped in to protect me, so we were stuck in there together and just—talked, I guess.”

“And you didn’t tell me immediately after this occurred!?”

She snorted. “My parents were worried about me, Alya. I wanted to get home first.”

Her phone lit up again, and she peaked down to see Adrien’s name flash up on her screen. Swallowing, she turned her attention back to Alya, who was shaking her head. “I’m so surprised at you, Marinette. Keeping secrets from me,” she said with a wink and a nudge.

“I was going to tell you, I’ve just been out of sorts today,” Marinette murmured as her phone lit up with Adrien’s name again.

“He’s blowing up your phone, girl! Answer him!” Alya insisted.

She cocked a brow at her friend. “Okay, but you can’t look.”

“Oh, ho. You and Monsieur Agreste already having secret conversations? How scandalous, Marinette, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet.”

She groaned and shoved Alya’s shoulder. “Stop it.” Unlocking her phone, she opened the messages.

 

_Adrien: Was the nickname too much? I’m sorry. I should have asked first._

_Adrien: Purr-lease answer me. I didn’t mean to furr-ighten you off._

 

Marinette rolled her eyes and giggled, ignoring Alya’s intense gaze.

 

**_Marinette: Your puns could frighten anyone away. The nickname was fine. Alya just showed up and scared the living snot out of me._ **

**** _Adrien: Sounds like a booger of a problem._

**_Marinette: Did you just make a snot pun? Gross, Adrien. I’m disgusted._ **

**** _Adrien: Sorry, I didn’t mean to cause a mucus._

_Adrien: I mean, ruckus._

**_Marinette: Wow. That one was just lame. Also, I draw the line at puns about bodily fluids._ **

****

Marinette watched the screen as dots continued to disappear and reappear. Locking her phone back, she turned her attention back to Alya until she could receive his reply. Her best friend was staring at her with a knowing smirk. “So, how long until you’re last name is Agreste?”

 She poked her in the arm. “Alya! Nothing is going on.”

 “And yet, you two seem to be chatting up a storm.”

 On cue, Marinette’s phone lit up with “Adrien” on the screen again. Scrunching her nose, she set her phone to the side and glanced back at Alya. “You have my full attention to rant at me as you please.”

Alya smiled and shook her head. “I’m not going to harass you too much yet. I haven’t seen you two actually interact in person since this new ‘bond’ as formed. I just came over here to see how you were doing.”

“How I was doing—oh? You mean the attack?”

 “Yeah, you and Adrien were technically _missing_. So, after the attack I went out looking for you two,” Alya rubbed her hair guilty. “I did get distracted with getting footage of Ladybug though, so, my bad.”

 Marinette smiled. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. Besides, Adrien and I went for a walk after we got out of the jewelry box anyway.”

 “Oooh,” Alya nudged her, “was it a date walk?”

 Sighing, Marinette frowned and glared at Alya. “No, nothing’s going on.”

 Alya chuckled. “I’m proud of you, girl. Normally, you’d be freaking out over Adrien so much as talking to you.”

 Marinette simply smiled down at her phone. “I’ve just learned that there’s a lot more to Adrien than meets the eye…”

 Wrapping her arms around her best friend’s shoulders, Alya squeezed her in a hug. “I’m happy for you. Now you and Adrien can hang out with me and Nino and not be awkward too. Everybody wins.”

 She let out a snort. “Yeah.”

 Alya’s phone buzzed. Retreating from Marinette, she unlocked her phone and stared down at the message. She clicked her tongue and turned to Marinette. “That was my mom. She wants me home to eat. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay too long after getting over here near dinner time.” Alya stood and placed a hand on her best friend’s shoulder. “Remember, don’t get too crazy around Adrien. He’s going to see just how amazing you are.”

 With a nod, Marinette grinned. “I think he’s already starting too.”

 Alya gave her bestie a high five and beamed. “You go, girl! Okay, I’ll see you later. We need to plan a sleep over soon too, alright?”

 “Of course.”

 After Alya exited through the trap door, Marinette surged for her phone and opened Adrien’s message.

 

_Adrien: I think you’ll frown upon where my mind went with that._

 

Cocking a brow in confusion, Marinette read back over previous messages to try and decipher what he meant.

 

**_Marinette: What do you mean?_ **

_Adrien: There’s a specific bodily fluid I could joke about, but you won’t be happy about it._

**_Marinette: I still don’t know what you mean._ **

**_Marinette: …_ **

**_Marinette: WAIT A MINUTE. THAT’S JUST GROSS! YOU’VE BEEN AROUND NINO TOO LONG._ **

_Adrien: This is probably true lol._

**_Marinette: Don’t you lol me. You were going to make semen jokes? Really? Are you 12?_ **

_Adrien: So, I may have learned about such bodily functions later in life than everyone else, therefore, I feel the need to joke about it?_

**_Marinette: What do you mean? When did you learn?_ **

_Adrien: I was homeschooled until this year, Marinette…_

**_Marinette: Are you telling me that you are 15 years old and didn’t know how your own genitalia worked until recently!?_ **

_Adrien: Jeez, you and all these proper terms. What’s wrong with ‘cum’ and ‘dick’? I mean, those are the words Nino used when he taught me. Also, I knew a little bit through the internet, thank you very much._

**_Marinette: Nope. NOPE. NOOOPE._ **

_Adrien: You seem distraught, my lady._

**_Marinette: I can’t believe we’re actually having this conversation through text right now._ **

_Adrien: We could have it through video call, if you’d like._

**_Marinette: Damn. That was smooth._ **

_Adrien: Is that a yes?_

**_Marinette: If we can stop talking about your penis, then sure._ **

_Adrien: I don’t recall this being about my actual penis, but I’ll take the deal._

When Marinette answered his call, she hadn’t expected to be engulfed in a conversation full teasing and crudely timed semen jokes. She also hadn’t expected to talk to him until daylight rose over the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I'm occasionally breaking POV rules because this is mostly in Marinette's head, but at times I say what Adrien is feeling. Just ignore it. Let's pretend that's not a thing. This will change to Adrien's POV some too. 
> 
> Also, just so everyone is aware... obviously, this is rated explicit so there is going to be sex, but it won't be until a little later. And it's going to be vanilla af because these two are gonna be innocent, confused sweeties in this one. Awkward sex is key.


	3. What's Happening?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Marinette overthinks the hell out of everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please. Take this. I don't want to see it anymore.

 

Marinette expected herself to be extremely cranky after only having two hours of sleep, but instead she was floating. She may have been yawning with bags under her eyes; however, none of that mattered when it was Adrien who kept her up all night with his, apparently new found, dirty sense of humor. She’d have to scold Nino for corrupting her kitty. Maybe, not right now, though. Hence the fact that she didn’t even quite know what she and Adrien were at this point.

Prancing giddily up to the school, her eyes deadlocked on Adrien as she started to beeline straight for him. Only when someone else’s elbow interlocked with her own was she jolted out of her trance.

“Someone’s in a hurry,” Alya’s voice teased. Marinette hummed and made an effort to make sure Alya didn’t slow down her pace.  Her best friend snorted. “Damn, girl, do you even know I’m here?”

“I just want to see him,” she murmured as the two approached Adrien, as well as Nino, who Marinette hadn’t noticed was there before. She wasn’t planning on telling Alya that she stayed up with the boy until the wee hours of the morning. It might come up at some point in the day, but she was going to tip-toe around that fact as long as she could.

Scoffing, Alya released Marinette in order to wrap her arm around Nino instead when they reached the two. “I’m sure you do.”

“Marinette!” Adrien cheered as he surged past Nino and Alya to reach her.

“Hi, Adri—oof!” Much to Marinette’s surprise, Adrien scooped her into a hug. He twirled her around with a grin before gently placing her back on the ground.

“I’m so glad to see you, Marinette. I was worried you might sleep in.”

Snorting, Marinette caught her breathe. He certainly was excitable this morning. “No, I crawled out of bed like a demon. I didn’t know you would try to squeeze the life out of me when I first saw you.”

With a rub to the back of his head, Adrien chuckled with a nervous smile. “Sorry, I just got excited. This is all so new still, you know?”

“I know,” she replied with a gentle smile that seemed to make him relax slightly. This was so new to both of them. Adrien was just thrilled to know she was Ladybug, and Marinette couldn’t help the fact that his excitement made her heart soar. Maybe, Adrien really _did_ like her romantically. If he was trying to woo her and sweep her off her feet, then hell, she’d let him. Her brain might be frazzled by the time it’s all over, but she couldn’t help but think it’d all be worth it.

“Yeah, but we _don’t_ know. What the hell’s going on here?” Nino said while looking back and forth between the pair.

Marinette and Adrien both froze and stared at each other wide eyed. The latter quickly spoke up. “Oh, um, yesterday during the akuma attack, Marinette and I got stuck in a jewelry box together.”

Frequently nodding, Marinette continued the tale, “Yes, and Adrien took me for a walk afterwards because I was so—um, freaked out. To, uh, calm me down. You know akumas make me nervous. So, he walked me home after that.”

Adrien’s cheeks pinked a little. “Yeah, we just got to know each other a little. That’s all.”

Nino crossed his arms, obviously not buying it. “A _little_? Dude, you just jumped her like she’s your best friend you haven’t seen in years, what gives?”

“I just get excited when I make new friends, you know that?”

Scoffing, Nino waved his hand. “Oh, please. Don’t give me that, man. You mentioned before how Marinette and I were your first friends at the school. She’s not a new friend. There’s something else going on here. You two are acting like you’ve been super close forever.”

Marinette glanced at Adrien. _You have no idea._

“We just discovered we have a lot in common,” Marinette chirped. “That’s all.”

Alya tapped Nino on the chest. “C’mon, babe, I want to know the _real truth_ ,” she glowered at the pair, “too, but they aren’t spilling. We’ll just have to wait. But, I swear, if you two have been having like a secret love affair behind our backs, I’m gonna be super miffed.”

The pair flushed instantly. “It’s nothing like that!” they both cried before shooting looks at one another. Jeez, Alya and Nino were being much harsher than she expected, but how could she blame them when she and Adrien suddenly attached to each other as if one of them would disappear. The last twenty-four hours felt like an eternity that Marinette had no intention of waking up from.

Nino eyed them knowingly. “Alright, dudes. You don’t have to spill, but we’re keeping an eye on you two,” he warned with the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.

He and Alya started to trek up the stairs as Adrien turned to Marinette. “I expected to get hounded, but that was more intense than I thought it would be.”

Marinette snorted. “Maybe, because you tackled me in a bear hug and spun me around.”

Hissing slightly, he grimaced. “Okay, maybe that was a little too much, but,” he reached over and brushed his fingers along hers, “it’s hard to resist hugging someone as wonderful as you, my lady.”

Her head shot down immediately as a blush spread across her cheeks. Gingerly, she interlocked her hand with his and continued to glance anywhere but him. “I told you not to call me ‘your lady’ in public. That’s so Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

He chuckled as the two started to head up the steps. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “Last I checked, we _are_ Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “Mmhmm, all the more reason not to call me that.”

“Fine,” he said with a sigh of defeat. “Can I keep calling you ‘Mari’ when we’re Adrien and Marinette then?”

Marinette smiled. “I guess, that is acceptable.”

“Oh, you _guess_ , huh?”

 She thrust her free hand up and placed the back of her hand to her forehead in an overly dramatic fashion. “Yes. That nickname will have to do, I suppose.”

Adrien’s lip twitched at the corner slightly. She watched him, carefully trying to read his expression. He just stared forward as they walked with Adrien hiding an obvious smile that was trying to spread across his lips. The pair headed up the stairs hand in hand, and Marinette couldn’t help but think about the intimacy in the gesture.  Was this just a friendship thing? Friends held hands, right? Alya had held her hand before. Of course, Alya wasn’t the boy she had been pining after for months, but that didn’t matter, did it? Between a bear hug and holding hands, Marinette couldn’t find herself thinking straight with all this attention. He kept her up laughing all night. They were acting very much like a couple without being one.

When they approached the classroom door, Adrien let go of her hand and skidded in front of her. He opened the door with a bow and said, “After you, my princess.” He had the audacity to _wink._

Marinette gaped at him and felt her cheeks pink lightly. If that was the game he was playing, then she’d take him head on. Sauntering over to where he stood bent at the waist, Marinette ran her fingers through his blonde hair, making him glance up at her. “Thank you, sir knight.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

As she started past him, she heard him murmur, “I’ll be your knight anytime.”

Making a gurgling sound in the back of her throat, she glanced back to eye him carefully as she tried to keep herself from blushing any further. Then he winked. _Again._ He was going to be the death of her if he kept that up.

She shot her head away from him and started towards her seat only to see that Nino was sitting in her usual spot. Cocking a brow, she tilted her head at Alya in confusion. In response, her best friend simply bobbed her head towards Nino’s seat with a grin. Puffing out her bottom lip, she turned back to Adrien who was grinning way too much and was far too pleased with himself. She eyed Alya before sliding down in front of her, and watched as Adrien scooted in next to her happily. This boy was getting far too addicted to her presence.

_What am I saying!? Adrien Agreste is obsessed with me! That’s great news!_

But she couldn’t help the fact that it didn’t feel the same. Marinette thought that Adrien was shy, sweet, and nothing like Chat Noir. She didn’t think he’d tease, flirt, and be goofy all the time. Yet, here he was. Although, the more she thought about it, the more she could put two and two together.

Chat was shy too sometimes, she noted. On Valentine’s Day, she knew Chat was going to say something to her, but from the expression on his face she could tell he was nervous. That’s a quirk that would make sense for what she thought Adrien was. It also explained why Adrien was nervous around Ladybug the time they met.

So then, why was she still so hesitant about Adrien acting like Chat did? They were one and the same. She couldn’t help but admit that she would have given Chat Noir a chance if she wasn’t in love with Adrien, so what didn’t feel right? Was she too scared of rushing into thing? She certainly didn’t want to mess this up. It was then she realized more of what her concern was. She had Adrien pinned all wrong, so what if he did the same thing? He may have said he expected her flaws, but what if he just still saw her as Ladybug? What if he still had her up on a pedestal instead of seeing the real her? She was starting to see who Adrien truly was, what if he was having the same struggle?

Adrien was focused forward as Miss Bustier told the class to take their seats. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and noticed her gaze. Turning to face her fully, his eyebrows raised in a questioning manner.

Marinette’s eyes widened with a grimace and a hiss as she realized she had been completely gawking at him. Flicking her head to face the front of the room, she tried to ignore his confused stare. She put all of her focus into what Miss Bustier was lecturing, but couldn’t help the fact that all of her thoughts had her fidgeting. These actions didn’t go unnoticed by a certain blonde boy beside her.

Slowly, he scooted towards her in tiny intervals. She thought she noticed him move from the corner of her eye, but she was too busy trying to listen and flick her pencil to really pay attention to him. However, she jolted in surprise when Adrien placed a hand on her vibrating knee. She was suddenly all too aware of the fact that she had been bouncing it. When had she started to do that? Gazing up at him with wide, blue eyes, she saw his brows furrowed in concern. A silent “are you okay” spread across his face. She blinked at him in surprise before nodding.

Marinette tried hard to focus more and be jittery less. Though, the shaky movements of her body ceased, her mind couldn’t stop racing because Adrien’s _hand_ sat on her knee the _rest of class_. Her entire being tingled as he made soft strokes with his thumb. Did he know he was doing that? Was he trying to comfort her? When that thought crossed her mind, she relaxed slightly. He was so sweet.  

When Miss Bustier released the students for their lunch break, Adrien turned to Marinette. “So, what are you doing for lunch?”

She titled her head. “Going home, why?”

He snorted and cocked a brow. “Because… I was fishing for you to invite me?”

Dropping her jaw slightly, she quickly gathered her wits. “O-Oh! Right! Sure, of course! Sorry, I don’t through think things—er—think things through sometimes.”

“Hey,” he took her hands into his, “it’s just me, Mari. Calm down.”

He was doing it again: rubbing his thumbs across her skin. A flush made its way across her cheeks, and Marinette struggled to focus on what she was saying, rather than the tingling feeling. She sighed, letting out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

Brushing a stray bang behind her ear, he smiled. “Don’t apologize. I don’t know why you’re still so nervous around me, but you know you can just be yourself. Don’t think you have to be anyone other than you, Marinette.”

Could he read her mind? Could he tell that she’s been overthinking everything for the past few hours? She must’ve had a tell that she didn’t know about because it seemed that Adrien could almost read her like a book. But, that made sense. She could read him like a book too, couldn’t she? They were still Ladybug and Chat Noir. They trusted each other with their _lives_ for Pete’s sake.

“I know,” she said with her shoulders relaxing.

He nodded towards the door, signaling that the pair should depart. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he beamed as he saw Nino and Alya waiting for them outside the classroom door. As he and Nino engaged in conversation, Marinette noticed Alya’s knowing smirk.

Adrien’s gestures were far too intimate for a friend. Maybe even for a best friend. But no matter how much she desperately wanted to believe that Adrien had romantic feelings for her, she kept doubting herself. But why?

“Is that okay with you, Marinette?”

“Huh—what?”

Adrien snorted and tugged lightly on one of her pigtails. “Were you even listening?”

She shook her head frantically. “Ah, no, sorry. I was completely zoned out.”

With a chuckle, Alya grinned and crossed her arms. “Yeah, you had that faraway look in your eyes that you get when day dreaming about a certain _someone_.”

Adrien stiffened beside her and glanced down at Marinette. “Um, who is she talking about?”

Marinette waved him off with her hand. “Oh, it’s nothing. Alya’s just teasing. What were you saying?”

“We were wondering if your folks would be up for us all heading over to the bakery for lunch,” Nino piped in.

Nodding, Marinette smiled. “I’m sure that wouldn’t mind,” she chimed.

Adrien beamed with a high-five to Nino. “Nice! I’m excited! Let’s go.”

As the four began to head out of the school, Alya cleared her throat behind Marinette and Adrien who were still attached. “Don’t look now, but Foxy and her mean girls crew is staring at you two.”

Marinette glanced up to see Lila, Chloe, and Sabrina all glowering at them from the balcony. Noticing her flinch, Adrien caressed her shoulder with a gentle squeeze. “Don’t even pay attention to them. I know Chloe, she’s just trying to get in your head.”

“She’s doing a good job of it,” she murmured in response.

Giving her one last squeeze, Adrien released her shoulder and reached down for her hand again. He never made an effort to grab her; he always made sure she was the one to interlock her fingers with his. It was like he always asked for unspoken permission. Such a gentleman.

 

o~o~o~o

 

Reaching her parents’ bakery, the four walked in to find her mother cleaning off the counter during their lunch break. The rush would be coming in as soon as they opened back up, so they had to be prepared.

“Oh, Marinette, dear! I’m so glad you’re back, oh and you’ve brought your friends too,” Sabine smiled, glancing down at Adrien’s hands interlocked with her daughter’s. She sent Marinette a knowing glance, to which she just adverted her eyes quickly. “There’s lunch already in the kitchen, I did make extra in case Adrien showed up. I didn’t account for Alya and Nino, but I made plenty so hopefully there’s enough for everyone.”

With a chorus of “thank yous,” they began to make their way into her home. Sabine spun quickly on her heel after them. “Oh, Marinette!”

She turned to face her. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Actually, I do need you to go help your father real quick. We’ve got an order and he’s overloaded with cupcakes that need to be frosted. Can you handle helping him for just a moment? I’m sure your friends won’t mind.”

Nodding swiftly, Marinette agreed. “Oh, sure.”

“Hey, wait. Can I watch?” Adrien asked.

She blinked at him. “You want to watch me ice cupcakes?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“Of course. Come back here with me. Alya? Nino?” Marinette glanced back at them.

Alya held her hands up. “Girl, I’ve seen you frost cupcakes so many times, I should hold a record. Me and Nino will just head to your living room and play Ultimate Mecha Strike without you too,” she teased as she stuck out her tongue.

Snorting, Marinette shook her head. “How dare you?”

Adrien trailed behind her into the back of the bakery. Marinette couldn’t help but giggle at his puppy-like actions. She made her way to the counter where the baked cupcakes sat. Putting on an apron and gloves, Marinette glanced over at Adrien who simply stared at her with excitement obviously etched on his face. What a dork.

She picked up the icing bag that her father had already set up for her and began whipping out the frosting with practiced ease. One after another, Adrien watched the icing dance onto the cupcakes into beautiful patterns. “That’s so cool,” he murmured.

Marinette snorted at this. “You’re an easily amused kitty, aren’t you?”

He grimaced a tad and ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I guess. I just don’t get to see things like this that often. Being sheltered your whole life makes the little things special, you know?”

Feeling her heart squeeze at his comment, Marinette only nodded. “I see.”

Adrien raised his hands in reassurance. “N-Not that I’m ungrateful for the life I have! It’s just that things like this are—different.”

Marinette halted her movements and glanced at him. “You never did anything like this with your parents?”

“Ah, no. Not really. My mom and I made cookies sometimes during Christmas, but that’s all I can think of. But we hadn’t done that in a long time because things just got busy.”

Gazing downward, Marinette felt her shoulders slump. “I’m really sorry about your mom, Adrien. And I’m really sorry I ruined your Christmas.”

He cocked his head a little. “What?”

“I caused that Santa to become akumatized during Christmas Eve. That was my fault. And you ran away and I was worried and…I’m sorry.”

“No. You’re wrong that’s not—ah, Marinette!” Adrien gestured at the icing bag in her hand wildly.

She gasped as she realized she had been squeezing the bag, and icing was oozing out onto the counter. “Oh, no, this is bad.”

“Just finish your job, Marinette, I’ll just go be with Alya and Nino and stop distracting you.”

“No!” They both flinched at her sudden reaction. Clearing her throat, she shook her head. “Don’t go. Let me finish, but please, don’t leave.”

He nodded with a smile. “Okay, I won’t leave you.”

Sighing, she bobbed her head and continued icing the cupcakes. She barley had enough to cover them after her little slip up, but fortunately the got the job done. As she sat the bag beside her, she jolted when Adrien was suddenly behind her.

Marinette cocked a brow at him as he reached past her and flicked a finger in the icing she had dropped onto the counter. “Can’t let it go to waste,” he said with a grin before sticking his finger in his mouth.

She shook her head. “You don’t know what’s been on that counter.”

He snorted. “I trust that your father cooks on clean countertops.”

“Yeah, well,” she scooped the last bit onto her finger and booped it onto his nose. “Try eating it now.”

Adrien gaped at her. “How dare you? That could have gone in my stomach.”

“You’re more upset about the fact that I put it on your face rather than your stomach?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I said.”

Marinette couldn’t stifle her giggles from coming out, making Adrien smile in return. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “There we go. I don’t like it when you’re sad, my lady. My problems are mine. Don’t take the blame for them or feel responsible for me, okay?”

She couldn’t help the flush spreading across her cheeks as she nodded. “O-Okay.”

He squeezed her and tapped his nose to hers with a grin. “Good.”

If it was possible for her to get any redder, she certainly was. The blood was roaring in her ears as her heartbeat pounded in her chest. What was he doing? He wasn’t being subtle about this at all! What happened to being friends first? (Well in his defense that was the plan she and Tikki had decided on, not exactly her and Adrien—but still!)  “Um, Adrien.”

“Yes?”

_You’re really cute up close._ “You just got icing on me.”

He shot away from her. “That was the plan!” he chimed as he slid towards the door.

She gaped. “You tease!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I like to think that Marinette would overthink everything, and Adrien would jump right in on showering her with affection. He already throws dorky flirts her way. I think if he caught any wind that she might like him then he'd jump right on board trying to woo her. He's a loser, but we love him.  
> I'm ready for them to be together so I can just write fluff, but dammit, I'm trying to get some build up here. I think this chapter is kind of rough, but, like Marinette, I tend to overthink everything.


	4. A Compromise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Adrien gets what he wants.

“Adrien?”

He jolted from his computer screen to face the voice that had come from his bedroom door. “Ah, yes, Nathalie?”

“Care to tell me why you vanished during lunch and didn’t tell anyone where you were going?”

Oh, right. He had done that, hadn’t he? He had been so focused on making Marinette feel better that he hadn’t considered the consequences after getting home. No one was at the door when he arrived, so he bolted straight for his room. The Gorilla never said anything, so the thought never crossed his mind again.

“Sorry, it won’t happen again. A friend of mine wasn’t feeling well, so I escorted her home, but her parents invited me to lunch. I thought it would be rude to decline the offer.” Wow. He was a good liar. Was that a good or bad thing?

“I see. Well, in the chance that something like this does happen again, please inform your bodyguard immediately. You’re lucky your father was organizing a fashion show most of the day, or else every single one of us could have been in hot water.”

Adrien bobbed his head quickly. “Yes, I know. I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry, Nathalie, honest.” He wasn’t sorry. He was so close to kissing Marinette before chickening out. Just getting that close to her face was worth getting punished. Nope, he wasn’t sorry _at all._

“Very well, I’ll let this one pass. Please, inform me on the well-being of your friend. Wouldn’t want her to turn out to be contagious and you get sick as well.”

“Right. Thank you,” he said with the biggest smile he could muster under such pressure.

Nathalie gave a curt nod before exiting his room. After her footsteps fade, he let out a huge sigh of relief. “That was close,” he murmured.

“You’re telling me! If you do stuff like that then they’ll put you under constant surveillance, and you won’t be able to sneak out as Chat Noir!”

Rolling his eyes, Adrien groaned. “Yes, thank you for reminding me, Plagg.”

The cat kwami crossed his arms stubbornly. “You can’t risk being Chat Noir for Marinette during the day! You get to see her all the time as Ladybug, what’s the difference?”

“The difference is seeing her without the mask.”

Plagg shrugged. “Okay, sneak out and then detransform with her. It’s not that hard.”

Squinting at his kwami, Adrien couldn’t help but be suspicious. “Plagg, are you _encouraging_ me to sneak out with Marinette at night? I thought you didn’t care about love.”

“I don’t. I care about you being Chat Noir, and you can’t risk that for love.”

“Anddd… your solution is us sneaking out… _at night._ ”

Plagg scoffed at his chosen. “You’re reading way too much into this. I’m just saying don’t risk things during the day as Adrien when you can just sneak out as Chat Noir when everyone is asleep. If you keep vanishing as Adrien, they’ll get overprotective and put you on lock down. Including _at night._ ”

Letting out a sigh, Adrien crossed his arms while leaning back in his chair. “You’re right, but being around Marinette is… addicting.”

“Gross.”

He scoffed at his kwami. “You don’t understand, Plagg, ever since I’ve found out she’s Ladybug, I can’t get Marinette out of my head. She’s beautiful, creative, talented, kind, and just—so much more. But she still gets nervous around me, and I don’t know why…”

Plagg smirked. “I understand more than you think, kid. I’m an ancient being, and it’s quite common for Ladybugs and Chat Noirs to fall in love. If Marinette is so nervous, maybe, you should look at things from her perspective.”

Sitting up in his chair, Adrien cocked a brow. “What do you mean?”

“Adrien,” Plagg stated flatly, “you’ve been madly in love and obsessed with Ladybug since the day you met her. Marinette can sense that, I’m sure. You’re probably putting pressure on her.”

“Pressure…?”

“Yeah, she’s probably trying to live up to your expectations. When you were talking on the tower, didn’t she imply that? You need to make her realize that you see Marinette as _Marinette_ , not Ladybug. That’s the way you’ll win her over.”

Adrien blinked. “Did you just—did you just give me actually decent dating advice?”

“I did nothing of the sort.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Plagg.”

 

o~o~o~o

 

 

The four of them sat at the library table together. There was a silence between them that Adrien couldn’t quite figure out. Glancing up at his friends, he noticed that everyone seemed to be really focused on their books. But were they really? Inching a little closer to Marinette besides him, he spoke up. “Thank you for having me over yesterday, Marinette. I’ve never really hung out at someone else’s house just for fun before.”

Suddenly, all of his friends were staring straight at him. Had he said something wrong? Looking at Marinette, he saw her brow furrow. “You’ve… _never_ hung out at someone’s house before?”

He hummed for a second before shaking his head. “No. I mean, I had playdates with Chloe when we were little, but my father never really wanted me to leave the house, so those weren’t very often. So, other than the time that I went to your house to practice for the gaming tournament, yesterday was the only real experience I’ve had being with friends somewhere.”

Blinking in surprise, Marinette seemed to be processing his words. The gears were obviously rotating in that brain of hers. “That’s not okay! You deserve so much more than that, Adrien!” She cupped his hand with two of her own. “You are welcome to hang out with me anytime, any day. I promise, you.”

Feeling his heart swell, he beamed. “Thanks, Marinette. That means a lot to me.”

Nino reached across the table with a grin. “Yeah, dude. You and I never get to do anything with your old man hovering around. Why don’t we all try to meet up at your place? I’m sure we could entertain ourselves for hours in that stadium sized room of yours.”

Looking at her boyfriend then back to Adrien, Alya gaped. “You mean Nino hasn’t even hung out at your house before?”

Shaking his head, Nino frowned. “Nah. Adrien’s pops tends to keep him secluded. I was only there because of an akuma attack.”

Alya bounced in her seat. “Adrien! You should totally talk to your dad about having the three of us over! That way we can still hang out, but then your dad doesn’t have you worry about you sneaking off, you know?”

“Um…” Adrien looked to Marinette, who smiled and nodded in agreement. Turning to face the pair, he grinned. “Yeah, sure. I can see what I can do.”

 o~o~o~o

“No, Adrien.”

Stomping his foot, Adrien felt himself turning into an ignorant child throwing a tantrum. “But, Father! Please! I’ve never had real friends before. You’ve met Nino again since my birthday and had no problem with him during the akuma attack!”

Gabriel held up a hand. “It’s not like I’ve had much of a choice in the matter. I wasn’t going to leave a child out in the wrath of an akuma.”

“Fine, but what about Marinette? You’ve—well, you haven’t _met_ her, but I’ve been to her house before and she won your derby hat competition. Her parents own the bakery near the school, you can even go talk to them if you want!”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, his father let out a sigh. “I’ve noticed that Marinette seems to be the one you’re most persistent about as of recently. Is there something going on I should know about?”

Adrien felt himself instantly blush, pursing his lips and clenching his fists open and closed. Gulping, he glanced away nervously. “Um…”

Nathalie took that moment to chime in. “Do you have feelings for this girl, Adrien?”

“I… um…” He couldn’t answer. Not with both of them staring at him like this. It was overwhelming, making him dizzy and nauseated.

Gabriel placed his hands behind his back, chin propping up high. “Well?”

“Maybe, a little?” _I’m completely and madly in love with her._ Unfortunately, he couldn’t say that in front of his father, obviously. “B-But,” he held his hands up in defense. “She’s not—I mean—we’re not… um… it’s not anything like that. Right now…but…”

Cocking a brow, his father seemed surprised out how flustered his son was. “But…?”

Adrien’s hand went to the back of his neck, stroking it awkwardly. “I want us to be?”

“I see,” Gabriel said, his eyes widening.

“But, Father! Please, don’t stop me from seeing her! I promise I won’t do anything stupid. I swear to you! We’re just close friends right now. Even if you ban her from being more than that, I still just want to be around her. Please, Father. I just want to be like everyone else. To have friends and live life. I don’t want to be cooped up in this house forever,” Adrien babbled. He knew he was rambling by that point, but trying to play dubious son, but also stand his ground like he would as Chat Noir, was pretty difficult. Mixing his two mindsets together was more than he had intended it to be.

When Gabriel’s eyes hardened, his son felt himself panic again. “B-Before you say that having friend and going to school is a bad influence on me, please think of how I feel! I understand that some things in the world are dangerous and you want to protect me, but having friends like a normal teenager isn’t something you should have to protect me from.” He was out of breath from his rant. Adrien hung his head after begging and pleading his case. It probably had been a waste of time, knowing his father. But he just wanted to be able to see Marinette with his father’s consent. (And without it, but Gabriel didn’t have to know that part.)

“Actually, sir,” Nathalie spoke up, causing Adrien took glance up hopefully behind his bangs. “I have met the Dupain-Cheng’s daughter; she is a very respectable young girl. A little clumsy and shy, I’ll admit, but she does seem to appreciate Adrien’s company from my experience with her.”

Stoking his chin, Gabriel hummed and glanced at Nathalie. “Would you be willing to check in on Adrien and his friends during any occasion that they decide to come over here?”

She nodded. “Of course, sir. I think that’s a great compromise.”

Adrien’s heart pounded. There’s no way this could be real. Had he really gotten his way for once? This was insane. Glancing at his son, Gabriel gave a curt nod. “Okay, Adrien, you can have your friends over on occasion seeing that Nathalie checks in every two hours, understand?”

Frantically, Adrien bobbed his head in agreement. “Yes, Father! Anything!”

“And, Adrien?”

“Yes?” the shift in tone made his heart clench with fear. What else was there to discuss?

“If anything develops with Ms. Marinette, then I see to it that you’ll inform me immediately?”

Blinking in surprise, Adrien agreed. “Okay, but can I ask another question?”

Stern Gabriel was back as he cocked a brow. “Yes?”

Idly playing with his fingers, he glanced away nervously. “Is that permission to ask Marinette to be my girlfriend, i-if the time comes?”

“Don’t push it,” his father growled. “If the time comes that you wish to date Marinette, then I must be informed immediately. If the time comes, I want the relationship to remain private. I don’t need the press finding out you have a girlfriend, strictly for advertising standpoints. Every young lady in Paris has a crush on you, seeing you with another girl could ruin that, and also possibly, put Marinette in danger. Do you understand?”

Adrien didn’t really think of the psychotic fans that might attack Marinette because of them being together. He supposed his father was right. With a tight lipped smile, he agreed once again. “Yes, Father. I will.”

“Good. Now, Nathalie, could to see to it to find in Adrien’s schedule when would be a good day for Adrien’s friends to join him for the day?”

“Yes, sir. Right away.”

Adrien trailed behind Nathalie, happily bouncing behind her as he followed her to her office desk. Things were finally looking up. His life couldn’t get much better than this.

Well, it could. Seeing if a certain ladybug admitted to returning his feelings. But he wasn’t going to push or prod. He would continue to push the line and find out what Marinette was comfortable with and what she wasn’t. Adrien was determined to make her feel loved and appreciated just like she deserved.

He would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of these chapters are going to questions, apparently. I've started it, and now I can't stop it. Sorry, this update is pretty short. I'm just trying to set everything up right now, so we can jump on the fluff train, man. It sucks when you have to make a plot to lead up to the things you really, really want to write. Lol!


	5. The Sleepover™

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which... there are cuddles.

 

Almost two weeks later, there was finally time in Adrien’s schedule for his friends to stay the night. He couldn’t believe that he actually convinced his father to let the girls stay over. Especially since his father new his feelings for Marinette. Adrien was bouncing off the walls, almost literally. He had never had friends over before. This was an entirely new experience, and he simply couldn’t wait! Of course, he was mostly excited that he was going to spend quality time with Marinette outside of a phone or superhero persona. He had a hunch that Marinette might share his feelings, and he was going to make an effort for her.

The past two weeks between them had been amazing. He was dancing around the line between being a friend and a real flirt. He knew he was guilty of it, but Marinette didn’t seem to mind. As many times as he had gotten blush to dust her cheeks, he was sure of it. Their interactions were changing… as Chat an Ladybug, they were more in sync than they had ever been. And as Adrien and Marinette, they hung out a lot more at school. They often found themselves in the library together, even without Alya and Nino accompanying them. The pair had also been texting nonstop. She was the last person he would speak to before falling asleep, and the first person he spoke to when he awoke in the morning. He knew they weren’t technically in a relationship, but it kind of felt like it. Adrien sure as hell wanted them to be soon enough. He just wanted to make sure she was in as deep as he was.

Adrien roved around his room, cleaning everything spotless. Not that his room was actually a mess, but he just wanted to make sure. The maids mostly took care of the cleaning, so it wasn’t typically his problem. Glancing over at his computer, he suddenly remembered: oh _shit._ His computer had tons and tons of photos of Ladybug everywhere. There was no way he would have time to delete them all. He made a mental note to keep his friends away from any files on his computer. Point, blank, and period.

The knock on his door made him nearly jump out of his skin. Plagg zoomed behind him as he stood rail-rod straight. “Y-Yes?”

Nathalie poked her head into the door. “Your friends are here, Adrien. I’m going to send them in a moment.”

Nodding stiffly, he smiled. “Thank you!" 

As Nathalie went to retrieve his friends, Plagg floated up beside him and snickered. “Lucky you… having a sleepover with your girlfriend.”

Adrien fought a blush. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yet.”

“Yet,” he agreed, “but Alya and Nino are going to be here too, so it’s not like it’s weird or anything.”

His kwami let out a scoff. “If anyone could make it weird, it’s you.”

Adrien stared at his kwami flatly. “Kay, thanks, Plagg.”

“No problem.”

His bedroom door creeked as his friends opened the door. Nino gestured for the ladies to go first, a grin plastered on his face. Alya’s eyes lit up. “Adrien! Holy shi—shmokes! This place is huge!”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Adrien gave a chuckle. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

Alya gripped Marinette’s arm. “Girl! How are you not freaking out over this?”

A beat of panic washed over Marinette’s features. She wasn’t surprised because she had actually been in his room before on a few occasions, but Alya didn’t know that. Only he knew that. He watched her quickly gather her wits before speaking. “O-Oh, cause he’s super rich, Alya. That’s to be expected.”

Scoffing, Alya waved off Marinette’s response. “Whatever, girl. I’ve see stadiums smaller than this room.”

Nino beamed. “That’s what I said!”

“Holy—you have _two_ dance machine games? Can we play!?” Alya bounced excitedly.

Gesturing an arm towards the games, Adrien gave a smile. “Yeah, go ahead. Be my guest.”

“Sweet!” she cheered before pulling Nino along over towards the machines with her. His friend didn’t seem to mind though. Adrien couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the sight. He wanted Marinette to drag him around like that.

Suddenly, that’s where his attention was drawn. Marinette. She giggled at the display of her friends before turning back to him. A small smile etched across her features as she got slightly closer to him. “Are you excited?”

Adrien nodded quickly, bouncing on his toes. He couldn’t help the thrill that ran up his spine. “Completely. This is the first time I’ve done anything like this.”

Marinette reached out, her smile growing reassuringly. “Well,” she grabbed his hand in hers. “It won’t be the last.”

He sucked in a breath, holding back the blush that threatened to tinge his cheeks. Ghosting his fingers against hers and laughing slightly, he ducked his head, looking up at her through blonde bangs. “Thanks, I’ll hold you to that.”

“Of course,” she chimed. The smile she gave him was adorable. That’s the only way to describe this girl. Completely and totally adorable. He couldn’t help but just take in her beauty. She was amazing. Cocking her head, her brows knitted. “Adrien?”

Oh! Was she talking? Crap. He’d been stupidly staring at her for a moment there, hadn’t he? Oops. Blinking quickly, he came back to reality. “Ah, sorry. What were you asking?”

“Cookies?”

“Oh!” Cookies. Right. For Tikki. He had those. He nodded and pointed to the door. “Yeah, I got them. I forgot to bring them in here. I can go get them if you’d like.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll go get them. Where’s the kitchen?” Right. This was Ladybug he was talking to. The most independent girl he’d ever come in contact with.

“Down the stairs to the right. Just asks the chiefs, they know where they are.”

With a nod, she headed towards with door with a short wave. “Thanks! I’ll be back!”

“So, you making goo-goo eyes at my girl, Agreste?”

Adrien reared back with a yelp. Where had Alya even come from!? Placing a hand on his chest, trying to calm his palpitating heart, he glared at her. “W-What do you mean?”

Alya snorted. “Don’t even with me. I can tell something’s been going on the past two weeks since you guys were stuck in that box together.”

Glancing around nervously, he looked to Nino for help. Nino simply glanced away, obviously too afraid to test Alya. Thanks a lot, Nino. Traitor. “I—um—we…”

“If you like her, ask her out!”

His face flushed. “W-What!? I can’t just ask her out.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not even sure if she likes me like that—for certain.”

Alya burst into laughter, leaning over and placing a hand on Nino’s shoulder to stabilize herself. “Oh, my God! How _dense_ are you, Adrien?”

“Extremely, apparently,” he grumbled in embarrassment.

“Marinette definitely likes you ­ _like that_ , if not more.”

“But how are you so sure--?”

Alya pointed to herself with her thumbs, smirking. “Best friend. She tells me everything. Trust me on this one, Adrien. Marinette adores you. If you ask her out she’ll say yes. I promise.”

Adrien caved. He knew Alya probably knew best when it came to Marinette. With a sigh, he gave a small bob of his head. “Okay, but I’m waiting for the right moment at least.”

Placing a hand on her chest, Alya’s grin softened. “You’re such a romantic, aren’t you?”

Nino snorted. “Yes, he is, definitely.”

Puffing out his lip, Adrien crossed his arms. “Are you two done making fun of me now? Marinette will be back any second now.”

“Mmhmm!” Alya hummed. Reaching over, she popped a finger to his chest. “But, I’m keeping my eye on you two this evening, don’t forget it.”

So, no sneaking off as Ladybug and Chat Noir for sure then. He had kind of hoped that would be a possibility, but hanging out with Alya and Nino was fine as well. As long as Marinette was around to keep him company. Being a third wheel with those love birds was sometimes awkward. But, he was sure he and Marinette would be the same way if they ever… yeah.

Marinette peeped back into his room, her purse looking a bit fuller from where he knew she had shoved cookies in there for Tikki, while she had one cookie in her hand, munching on it. Alya sighed at her. “Girl, you and this cookie addiction. You’re going to get a cavity.”

She giggled and shook her head, waving the cookie. “Not if I brush my teeth extra after eating them.”

Nino snorted. “I’m not a dentist, but I’m not sure if it works like that.”

“Hey, I’ve been around baked sweets my entire life—not a single cavity ever,” Marinette argued while taking a big bite out of the cookie.

He elbowed Marinette lightly. “Sureee. I don’t remember your sweet tooth being as sweet as it has been recently. I’ve never seen someone throw as many cookies in their purse as you have.”

Marinette visibly stiffened before glancing at Adrien in alarm. “Ahhh… you’ve noticed that?”

“Who hasn’t, girl? You do it all the time,” Alya laughed with a wave of her hand.

Adrien chimed in to rescue her from their teasing. “A-Anyway. I’m sure there’s more treats where that came from later. What do you guys want to do?”

 

o~o~o~o

 

Well, he really had no idea his room could be so entertaining. Adrien usually loathed being cooped up in his bedroom, but with friends along with him, it made all the difference. After hours of playing the basics—DDR, foosball, Mecha Strike (which Marinette continuously kicked everyone’s ass at)—the group sat down in the space between Adrien’s couch and TV. They all circled around and munched on the snacks that Nathalie had brought them as he had promised she would.

“So, Adrien,” Alya spoke. His head perked as he gazed at her with curiosity. “You have a lot of Ladybug merch in your closet.”

Blinking, he gaped at her. “When did you go through my closet!?”

“I didn’t, but you just confirmed right now.”

Feeling the flush seep up his cheeks, he glanced away. Of course, Alya didn’t know Ladybug was sitting _right next to her,_ but Adrien certainly knew. Marinette’s cheeks pinked a tad as she glanced away shyly. “R-Right…” he sputtered.

“You got a soft spot for the bug?” Alya teased with a grin.

Alya never made sense to him. One minute she’s practically begging him to date Marinette, now she’s teasing him about his crush on Ladybug. They were one and the same, of course, but he couldn’t let that slip. He let out a small chuckle. “You’re not the first person to ask me that… but yeah. I do—er—did?” Glancing at Marinette, who deflated a bit, he fumbled to recover. “I-I mean, I still think she’s great and everything, but I’ve just learned a little more about—someone else.”

Adrien gazed at Marinette hopefully. He wanted her to understand what she meant. It was hard to make sense of everything when Marinette happened to be the other girl he was pining after. Nothing made much sense, but he wanted to win her over. Sometimes it felt that she doubted his feelings for her. He just wanted to prove to her he loved her.

Alya gave a smirk. “Is that someone in this room?” she chimed.

Marinette’s mouth dropped agape. “Alya! You can’t ask him something like that!”

Waving his hands in front of him, Adrien brushed off the reaction. “It’s fine, Marinette, really. It’s not like you really don’t know how I feel about you.”

 An ‘o’ shape overtook her lips as she stared at him. Adrien sucked his bottom lip between his teeth nervously before rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t want to pressure you. Sorry, that came out wrong.”

Frantically, she shook her head. “N-No! I know… I know what you meant.”

He relaxed a little, giving her a small smile. For a moment there, it seemed like no one else was in the room but them. Adrien knew he couldn’t outright say it yet… especially not with Alya and Nino in the room. But he’d tell her… soon.

Nino bumped Alya lightly, obviously trying to encourage her to say something. She tried to regain the conversation before it turned into something too awkward. “Adrien, you, uh, met Ladybug before right?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “We mentioned that before.”

“Was she super awesome?”

“Of course! She’s great. She saved me and my father. It was amazing.”

Alya pumped her fist into the air. “That’s so cool! Ladybug saved me a few times, but not up close and personal like that. She did pop at my house during Christmas, though.”

Nino’s mouth fell open. “What!? Babe, you didn’t tell me that!”

“I didn’t? Oh, it was so sweet. She came into my house and just started rummaging through everything to find some stuff. Chat Noir was with her and she did that thing where she pulls on his tail. Those two have some serious chemistry.”

Adrien nearly choked on his cookie. Coughing, he quirked a brow. “You think so?”

“Oh, totally. I bet they’ll be dating sometime soon. You can tell Chat Noir is totally into her,” Alya beamed.

Gulping, he glanced at Marinette who had been trying to remain quiet the entire conversation, but her cheeks were certainly pinked again. “Really?”

Alya laughed out right. “Completely. He has goo-goo eyes for her every I see him.”

Oh, God. He had no idea he had been that obvious this entire time. Did Marinette know before the reveal that he liked her? Jeez, this was getting more awkward by the second. Adrien really just wanted to sink into the floor right then.

 

o~o~o~o

 

Alya and Nino were sprawled out on his bed he allowed them to have for the night. He told Marinette to take the couch, and he decided to just sleep on the floor. Of course, Marinette had protested the idea, but he certainly wasn’t going to make his lady sleep on the floor. He wouldn’t be much of a gentleman that way.

The movie played as he gazed up at the television in front of him. He could hear the faint snoring of Nino from the far end of the room. Shuffling, he glanced back to check on Marinette, only to be startled by blue eyes peering back at him.

Grimacing, she whispered. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

He gave a light chuckle and shook his head. “Nah, it’s no big deal. I just didn’t expect you to be awake.”

“I was totally staring at you like a creep. I thought you were asleep,” Marinette admitted guiltily.

Smiling, Adrien snorted. “We both know I was rolling over so I could watch you sleep. Are you really the creep here?”

She kept her giggle quiet in response. They fell silent for a moment, keeping eye contact before Marinette spoke up again. “Do you know where Plagg and Tikki have been hiding?”

“Yeah, I saw them up by my games and DVDs. They’re probably sleeping by now. Plagg’s like a grumpy old man if he stays up past twelve.”

“He must hate our patrol nights.”

“Most definitely.”

Adrien knew he was probably staring at her with a goofy grin on his face, but he just genuinely enjoyed his time with her. No one had ever made him so happy and giddy. He was aware that they would have to talk about their feelings eventually. They just seemed to be dancing around the topic right now. Clearing his throat, he drew her attention back to him. “So, um, Marinette, would you like to hang out with me tomorrow night, just the two of us?”

Cocking a brow at him, she smirked. “Wouldn’t your father feel like you’ve been spending too much time with me? Wouldn’t that require a body guard hovering over us?”

“…I didn’t say our parents had to know.”

Her mouth popped open. “Oh, so you mean as Ladybug and Chat Noir.”

Humming, he twitched his mouth. “I didn’t say that either.”

She snorted at him. “Agreste, what do you want from me?”

“Maybe… we could sneak out as Ladybug and Chat Noir… but meet up somewhere as Marinette and Adrien?”

“Adrien, are you asking me out on a secret date?”

“…If you want it to be a secret date then I most certainly am.”

She beamed, her freckles shining in the moonlight. “I accept.”

“Good.”

He was about to roll back over to watch the film, mostly because he was having a difficult time containing himself and he didn’t want to grin at her like an idiot. But a quiet whimper from her made him second guess that idea.

“Um… Adrien?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“Will you come up here with me?”

He knew his face had flushed in record time. Sputtering, he sat up to gape at her. “A-Are you sure?”

Glancing away, Marinette nodded shyly. “Yeah… I want you to.”

Adrien grabbed his blankets from the floor and sat down on the couch next to her. Neither of them had… cuddled before? He wound the blanket around his shoulders before opening his arms to her. Marinette crawled into his lap, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, covering her in the blanket as he did so.

Marinette let out a hum. “I can hear your heartbeat,” she murmured, before nuzzling into his collarbone.

His entire body felt like it was going to combust. Adrien nosed her hair, trying to keep himself from doing anything stupid. However, he did anyway, and placed a small peck to the top of her head. Cuddling was something he could definitely get used to. He wasn’t sure when he actually fell asleep, but it was the most comfortable sleep he’d had since his mother disappeared.

Thankfully, Alya and Nino rudely awoke them before his father could catch them the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I honestly don't like this chapter all that much. It's honestly just a lot of filler with build up for the next chapter. THE NEXT CHAPTER IS WHAT i HAVE BEEN DYING TO WRITE FOR THIS STORY. It should be updated quicker because we're getting to the scenes I've been excited about writing. YESS. 
> 
> (Also, just know that season 2 has entire fucked up the plot of this story... so this is season 1 centered only. I'm giving that trash human Gabriel Agreste a second chance in this story that he apparently doES NOT DESERVE.)


	6. Sharing is Caring

“You slept in his _arms_ , Marinette! It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen in my entire life,” Alya cooed from the chaise.

Marinette fumbled through her closet, peaking out at Alya with a deadpan expression. “Would you stop? I had a moment of weakness.”

Her best friend gave a smirk and leaned back on her palms. “A moment of weakness, huh? Adrien seemed more than willing to oblige,” she teased with a waggle of her eyebrows.

“We were both half asleep—r-really. We weren’t thinking.”

“Bull and shit, Marinette. You were both fully aware of your little cuddle session,” Alya paused, her eyes gleaming mischievously. “You two didn’t do _more_ than cuddle, right? You would tell me, wouldn’t you?”

Marinette’s face flushed, mouth falling agape. She was almost in disbelief that such a question was asked, but it was Alya and she teased relentlessly. “No! I laid down on him and fell asleep. That’s it. There’s nothing to tell.”

“You would tell me though?”

With a sigh, Marinette nodded. “Of course, I would.”

Alya crossed her legs, leaning her elbow onto one and resting her chin on her palm. The smirk that etched itself back on her features was just asking for trouble. “So, on this secret date if you two kiss, you’ll tell me, right?”

Raising a finger to her mouth, she hushed her. “Don’t say that so loud. My parents might hear you.”

“Look at my baby growing up and sneaking out to be with the love of her life.”

“I don’t know if Adrien is the love of my life yet,” she grumbled as she went back to rummaging through her clothes.

Alya’s face flattened. “Yeah, sure. Where’s the girl who wanted to have three children with this boy and a hamster?”

Holding a shirt up and looking into the mirror, Marinette continued to search for an outfit for the evening. “She learned more about him.”

“And what? You didn’t like what you learned?”

Sighing, she threw the top down to join the rest of the clothes in her pile. “No, it’s not that. It just took me by surprise is all. The Adrien I had built up in my head wasn’t the real him.”

Alya hummed, cocking her head. “I’m not so sure about that. You knew a lot about him, but everyone has their secrets. It’s not that you didn’t know Adrien, you just learned more.”

Marinette picked up a frilly pink and white polka-dotted top she had made with leftover fabric. As she modeled the shirt, she thought carefully about what her best friend had said. She couldn’t argue with what she had said in any way. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“That one. You should totally wear that one.”

She held it up in front of herself and stared in her mirror, uncertainty clear in her face. “Are you sure?” The last thing Marinette wanted to do was over dress or look dumb in front of Adrien. He was finally making a move, she didn’t want to screw it up.

Alya beamed with a quick nod. “Definitely. That one is totally you.”

Huh. She had a point there. Pulling the shirt off the hanger, Marinette gave a grin. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

 

o~o~o~o

 

Marinette sat upon Notre Dame adorning her spots, pondering what her evening would be like. She knew Adrien would be there any moment. Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach. She’s never been on a date before. This wasn’t just any date either—it was with _Adrien_ of all people.

“You’re here early.”

Marinette spun around to face the voice behind her, already knowing who it was. Smiling, she gave a shrug. “I got a little excited and couldn’t stay home. I was too antsy. You’re early too.”

Chat gave a shrug. “What can I say? I got a little excited too.”

Standing up, Marinette brushed off her suit. “Well, is it too early to start our evening out? Do we need to stay here for a bit?”

With a grin, Chat shook his head. “Nope, any time is good. I just wanted it to be dark so my father wouldn’t come check on me.”

“Do you have an early bedtime, monsieur model?”

Rubbing the back of his head, he nodded with a nervous chuckle. “You could say that.”

“Your father is super strict, huh?” Marinette asked, brows furrowing. She knew he had a tough time at home, just not that tough.

“He is… but he’s been lightening up here lately. Maybe there’s a chance he’ll let me go out more soon?” He chimed, ears twitching as he spoke.

She let out a snort. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

With a chuckle, Chat nodded in agreement. “Yeah, me too.”

The two fell into a small silence for a moment, neither quite sure of what to say. Chat then held out a clawed hand with a smile. “Well, shall we go madam?”

Marinette gazed at him, taking his outstretched hand. She hadn’t really noticed how he was just as handsome as Chat Noir until now. God, he was adorable. Cutest human award goes to Adrien Agreste, most definitely. She couldn’t help but gaze at their intertwined fingers as the pair cascaded down the building together. Once in a well-hidden spot, both dropped their transformations.

Immediately, Marinette was watching Adrien bicker with his kwami, amusement clear on her face. Tikki perched on her shoulder, snickering at the exchange of Plagg nagging his chosen for food.

“Ugh, Plagg, you’re such a pig. Let me have some time for once,” he grouched as he handed the smelly cheese to his kwami.

Taking Tikki from her shoulder, Marinette placed her in her purse with tiny cookies already in there for her. After satisfying Plagg, Adrien convinced him to back into his over shirt.

Adrien was in his usual t-shirt with an over shirt and jeans attire; however, he had on a pair of glasses and a beanie covering most of his blonde locks. When she eyed him curiously, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t want to be too easily recognized… but I see that you dressed up for me, my lady.”

Smiling, Marinette blushed and looked down at her pink and white polka dotted blouse. “Not too much, I hope?”

“No, no!” Adrien shook his head quickly, a faint tint of pink burning his cheeks. “You… You look really cute, Marinette.”

She giggled at his compliment. “Thank you.”

Holding an elbow out to her, Adrien smiled at her. “Shall we, my lady?”

Marinette wrapped her arm around his, holding his bicep in her hand. She tried to not focus on the feeling his muscles under her fingertips. Now was certainly not the time for such perverse thoughts. She blindly walked with him, letting him guide her in whatever direction they were heading. Marinette could tell her kitty had obviously had the evening planned out.

The pair engaged in timid small talk as they strode through the streets of Paris. While it could be dangerous for two young teens to be wandering around at such an hour, they both knew that they were strong enough to fend off any threat that came their way. As they walked, Marinette noticed how wonderfully bright the lights were as they shined off his blonde hair and gorgeous emerald eyes. The boy beside her was certainly a sight to behold. Marinette realized she had lost herself in his appearance, accidently abandoning their conversation. 

“You’re not going to give me any clue as to where we’re going?” she chimed curiously, knowing he probably wouldn’t tell her.

Shaking his head, Adrien grinned. “Nope. We’re almost there. I’m sure you’ll appreciate at it.”

With a laugh, Marinette bumped him with her hip. “If it was so far away, why didn’t we just go as Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“Because then…” he placed a hand over hers that rest on his arm. “I couldn’t be close to you like this.”

Eyes widening, Marinette felt her heart swell. A twinge of pink kissed her cheeks as she glanced away from him shyly. “That’s… a good reason, I guess.”

“I happen to enjoy your company,” he replied smoothly.

Marinette couldn’t help it. She didn’t stop herself from leaning onto his arm she was wrapped around. She sighed. “I enjoy your company too, kitty.”

Adrien gave a small chuckle at that, leaning his head down to touch hers for a brief moment. When he stopped in his tracks, he had to help Marinette not trip over her feet from the abrupt action. Holding a hand up, he gestured to the brightly lit building in front of them. “Here we are!”

Upon seeing the items inside of the building through the large windows, Marinette squealed, releasing Adrien and running to press her forehead to the glass. Games, games, and more games: an arcade. Glancing back at him with disbelief, Marinette couldn’t contain her excitement. “Are you serious!? This place is amazing! I’ve always wanted to come here. I’ve just heard it’s really expensive, so I’ve never tried.”

“Well,” Adrien pulled out his wallet from his pocket, wagging it in the air. “This place stays open until 2:00, and my father’s given me plenty of emergency money.”

Laughing, Marinette turned and leaned her back against the window. “I don’t think this is what your father constitutes as an emergency.”

“Eh,” he gave a shrug of one shoulder. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”

Marinette smirked. “What a naughty kitten you are.”

“What can I say?” Adrien grinned lifting his arms in an uncaring gesture. Quickly, he strode towards her and grabbed her arm. “So, let’s not waste another second!”

The pair entered the arcade; the establishment bustled with teenagers who were also probably out past their curfews. Marinette had heard this place was best to go at night for students her age, considering in the daylight hours it was mostly swarmed with children. The last thing Marinette wanted to imagine was running into Manon while on a date with Adrien.

Bouncing on her toes, Marinette couldn’t contain herself as Adrien places euros into the machine to earn them their tokens. When he spun around on his heal to face her, he couldn’t help but be tickled at her antics. Placing the coins her hands, Adrien gestured to the multitude of machines around them. “So, what first?”

Marinette chewed on her lip as she hummed, contemplating their first action. “Well, we can’t play any dancing games. You’d have an unfair advantage since you have some in your room.”

Adrien chuckled. “Sure. Why do I take it you’re going to try to pummel me at every game we play?”

“Because that is absolutely correct.”

“I should’ve known letting out your competitive side would come with a price,” he snorted.

Marinette smirked, leaning up and booping him on the nose. “A lesson learned the hard way, kitten.”

He went cross eyed while staring at her finger, earning a giggle from Marinette. Adrien knew he was a sucker for that laugh. Drawing it out of her at any moment he could. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the basketball hoop games. Cocking a brow at her, Adrien was curious at her choice. “This isn’t really a two player game.”

“No, but highest score wins? Don’t tell me you’re good at this sport too.”

Beaming, Adrien puffed out his chest. “I’m good at every sport, my lady.”

“I guess we’ll see if your shooting is as good as your fencing,” Marinette challenged with a smirk. She plopped the needed number of coins into his hand. The pair lined up the coins to shove them in at the same time. “Ready… one… two… three!”

The balls came rolling towards the respective player rapidly. With swift speed, Marinette began grabbing basketballs and tossing them towards the net, Adrien doing the same beside her. She was taken aback by Adrien easily picking up each ball, flicking it into the hoop with perfect form every time. What!? He couldn’t beat her! No way! Marinette erratically chunked balls at the hoop, but that seemed to only make her aim even worse.

Their games simultaneously buzzed, blinking the final scores. Adrien’s score was ten points higher than her own. Crossing her arms, she pouted, glowering at him. With a snicker, Adrien leaned against the machine, one leg crossing over the other. What a cocky posture! He was enjoying his win far too much.

“Hey, Bugaboo, did you forget that I have a basketball court in my room too?”

Yes. She had. Marinette gaped before smacking her forehead at her idiotic mistake. She picked a game that was right up his alley… And he’d let her!! Wallowing in her lose, she glared at him. “You set me up to lose that.”

Beaming, Adrien waggled a finger at her. “No, no. You picked the game. I just didn’t correct you.”

Sticking her tongue out at him, she blew a raspberry. “You ass. You just wanted to win.”

Adrien’s eyebrows shot up as he placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. “Marinette! Such language! I’m scandalized, really.”

“You know I’m right. You’re just as competitive as I am!” she accused, pointing a finger at him.

He couldn’t help but snort loudly at her before laughing. “Of course! I wouldn’t be a _competitive_ fencer if not.”

Dammit. He was right. Marinette felt her cheeks burn at his statement. Tossing her nose in the air, she harrumphed, trying her best to ignore him. Suddenly, a hand was squeezing her shoulder and Marinette opened her eyes to meet his own. “I’m just teasing, my lady. You put up a very good fight.”

Of course he would say something sweet like that after bruising her ego. While she kept her pout, she tried to resist the smile threatening to spread across her cheeks. The action didn’t go unnoticed by Adrien, however. Glancing at him, she sighed. “I guess, I can forgive you this once.”

“Thank you, Mari. I’m thankful for your humbleness.”

Playfully pushing his shoulder, Marinette let out a laugh. “Oh, stop it you.” It was then Marinette caught something in her eyesight. An Ultimate Mecha Strike III game. The grin that formed on her lips couldn’t be anything other than sinister. “I know, kitty, how about that one?” She chided, pointing at the machine behind Adrien.

He turned, seeing the machine she was referring to. Whipping his head back to her, Adrien eyed her. “Oh, I see how it is. You’re so on.”

Laughing, the pair raced over towards the Mecha Strike machine, batting each other out of the way all the while. When they neared the machine, two bodies appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Marinette bumped face first into the chest one of the strangers. Flailing, she tripped backwards over her feet. Adrien caught her with practiced ease and placed both hands on her shoulders, hugging her to him protectively.

Squinting ominously, Adrien frowned. “Can we help you?”

Marinette took in the sight of the two teenage boys in front of her. Both looked equally smug and nothing but trouble. She felt safer with Adrien behind her, but she couldn’t shake the anxious feelings building in her gut. The boys seemed familiar. She certainly knew them from somewhere.

The brunette haired teen crossed his arms, smirking. “Yeah, by taking your asses to another game. We’ve called this one for the night.”

Scoffing, Marinette shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. There are two games, both two players. You don’t need to hog both.”

The boy who previously spoke looked her up and down before nudging his punk friend beside him. “Hey, Jean, we know her. It’s that girl from Françoise Dupont that beat us at the Mecha Strike tournament.”

So, that was how they looked familiar. Marinette went to speak, but Adrien beat her to it. “Yes, she and Max won the tournament. She’s the best at this game I’ve ever seen. I’ve never beaten her.”

The blonde one, Jean, apparently, gave a snort. “Whatever. It was just a fluke. Girls aren’t good at videos games.”

“What!?” Marinette gaped.

Squeezing her shoulders, Adrien discreetly tried to cool her down. “Come on now. We’re in the twenty first century. That stigma is a little old now, isn’t it?”

The two thugs laughed, and Marinette found herself buzzing with anger. Obviously, the two hadn’t taken Adrien’s comment too seriously. Clenching her fist, she puffed her chest up proudly. “Then how about a rematch?”

Jean blinked at her. “Um, what?”

“A rematch. We play you in doubles on the machines. Whoever wins gets the games for the rest of the night,” she chimed with a smirk.

The brunette shook his head. “I don’t know about that.”

Adrien snickered. “Oh? Backing out already? What happened to all that tough guy talk just a moment ago? If anything, you shouldn’t be worried, right? Girls aren’t good at video games.”

Jean’s cockiness suddenly returned when his ego was threatened. How predictable. “Whatever! We can take you, right Louis?”

“Yeah! Let’s go. We’ll show you two who’s boss.”

Marinette glanced up at Adrien behind her with a flat stare. He did his best to hold back his laughter at the expression, but couldn’t help the small snort that left his lips. As they took their places at the control pads, Adrien looked over her shoulder past her left side. Grabbing her wrist, he gently tugged her towards him. Marinette could feel her cheeks heating at the contact.

“Why don’t you play on this side?” he murmured in her ear.

Marinette glanced back at the boys before turning back to Adrien. The worry in his eyes was apparent. He certainly wanted to get between her and them. He really was the sweetest boy she had ever met. Nodding, she switched places with him, taking the controls on the opposite side.

Pushing the coins into the slots, the game sang a little 8-bit tune as they selected the multiplayer option. As the selected characters, Marinette glanced at Adrien who gave her a reassuring smile. She wasn’t nervous about playing these guys. She’d never lost a game. But her pride was riding on this, and she couldn’t let Adrien down by getting nervous. They’d played together before… it was easy. No problem.

The names popped up on the board, the screen split with a VS in the middle. START popped up on the screen, and they were off to the races, so to speak. Marinette immediately started hitting the pair with combos and hard-hitting attacks. Adrien would hit the other characters with blasts as Marinette’s character recharged from any hits. Ironically, it was similar to the way they worked as their superhero personas. Marinette taking the lead with Adrien as her back up. As her fingers moved quickly across the buttons, Marinette licked her lips in concentration. She noticed Adrien occasionally glancing over at her, but she decided to ignore the action and focus on beating these two hoodlums. Her character shot across the screen, hitting both characters making them explode. GAME OVER pops up on the screen.

The female computer voice speaks as the rankings change. “Marinette and Adrien take the lead.”

Cheering, Marinette bouncing up and down on her toes as she turns to Adrien. She and Adrien share a double high five. Her excitement overtaking, she points at the screen with both hands. “Ha! Winning Marinette-style! Boo-ya!”

Adrien laughs at her antics before throwing an arm over her shoulder, turning them to face the boys beside them. He smiles politely with a nod. “Good game, you guys.”

Marinette grins, her pride swelling. She’s trying to be a good sport. Gloating would be the wrong thing to do since Adrien was being so nice to them. It almost didn’t stop her, but she kept her self-control.

The two boys glower at them. Jean waves a hand, brushing them off. “Yeah, whatever. Must’ve been rigged or something.”

Gaping, Marinette feels herself bristle up. “Excuse me?”

Adrien squeezed her to him. “I can assure you, it’s all her. She’s just amazing,” he says with a shrug. “I’m afraid we can’t all be as talented as her.”

“I knew it was stupid playing you anyway,” Louis sneered with a roll of his eyes.  “Let’s go, Jean.”

The two punks walk away from the machines, heads hung in shame. Waiting for the pair to retreat, Marinette kept her smugness to herself until they were out of sight. She turned to Adrien, a devilish grin spreading across her lips. “We showed them. No one beats the dream team.”

Barking out a laugh, Adrien gestured to the machine. “Want to beat me?”

Giggling, Marinette nodded. “Of course!”

 

o~o~o~o

 

After a few more hours of playing arcade games, the two found themselves transformed and sitting on the look-out deck of the Eiffel Tower. It was brightly lit, shining throughout Paris. Chat sat next to her, their closeness making her want to cuddle up to him. This was supposed to be a date… but Marinette found herself unable to make the first move.

“I can’t believe we stayed there until it closed,” Chat laughed as he crossed a leg over the other.

Shrugging, Marinette grinned. “I have an addiction to games.”

“It’s okay,” Chat reassured with a smile. “I had a lot of fun with you.”

Her eyes widened a bit, a blush kissing her cheeks. Glancing away from him shyly, she nodded. “Yeah. I had fun with you too.”

“My favorite part was beating those guys. ‘Girls can’t play video games,’ sure,” he said with a snort.

Marinette could feel her feathers getting ruffled again at the thought of those boys. “Ugh! I know! Ridiculous. I’m glad we beat them!”

“I know, you were so focused.”

“It was important.”

Humming, Chat gazed at her, eyes soft as he did so. He leaned back on his hands. “You know, you’re really cute when you focus like that. You stick your tongue out… it’s pretty adorable.”

Her jaw dropped, the small blush spread across her cheeks, flushing darker. Smacking him on the arm, she turned away from him. “Adrien! You can’t just say things like that!”

“Ow! My lady! Such abuse!” He cried while rubbing the now sore spot on his arm. Marinette let out a groan, hugging her knees to her chest. Chat cocked his head at her, concern growing in his eyes. “Does it bother you when I compliment you?”

Squeezing her arms around her knees tighter, she shook her head. “No… I’m just not used to it, I guess. You’ve always been flirty as Chat, but now that I know you’re—well—you it’s different.”

Chat tilted his head, confused. “How so?”

“It… just is?”

He laughed. “You know I need a better explanation than that, my lady.”

Marinette couldn’t help the small smile that twitched to her lips. “I can’t tell you without spilling my guts out to you. When did this date become sharing time?”

“Sharing time is caring time?” Chat joked with a shrug.

“Stoppp,” she murmured.

“I’ll share first then you can share?”

Hm. Now, that was an interesting thought. She’d always been concerned about Adrien’s well-being. If this was her chance to really know how he felt, then it was a great opportunity to take. If they really did like each other, then they did need to know each other well, didn’t they?

Nodding, Marinette agreed. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

Leaning forward on his hands, Chat scooted closer to her. “Alright, what do you want to know?”

Marinette tapped her chin as she thought. There was a lot she wanted to know about Adrien, but she wasn’t sure how to approach it. Maybe, she should start off where she was most curious—aside for how he felt about her, of course. Giving him a sideways glance, she stared carefully. “What about… your dad?”

“Ouch,” he flinched with a grimace. “Starting out heavy, huh?”

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Marinette tried to retract quickly. “You—You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to! Just after what you said earlier, I’m worried for you.”

He took her hand from his shoulder, caressing it in his own. “Hey, I’m not upset that you asked. It’s just an intense topic. Are you okay with that?”

Marinette nodded cautiously. She really did want to know if his home life was okay. From the few times she had seen Gabriel, he was very hard on Adrien. He tended to keep him trapped away from the world. She felt so bad for him.

With a sigh, Chat began. “Well, ever since my mother disappeared, he hasn’t really been the same. He’s always been strict, but never as strict as he has been as of lately. He’s always tried to protect me from the world, but not to the point of trapping me like now. I used to go to the hotel with Chloe all of the time. Mother hasn’t been gone that long, but he’s certainly changed in that short amount of time. I’m honestly surprised he allowed you guys to come over yesterday. It was a first for him. He’s never even let Chloe stay over.”

Wow. That was surprising. Marinette’s brows shot up from behind her mask. “Really? So, that was your first sleepover ever?”

“Yeah, it was. And I had a lot of fun!” Blushing, he glanced away, before shyly looking back at her. “I liked waking up with you in my arms too…”

Marinette let out a squeak, cheeks flushing again. “M-Me too! Er, not with you in my arms, b-but waking up in your arms. Th-That was nice, I mean.”

“We should do that again sometime.”

Nodding frantically, Marinette let out a pitiful whine. “Yep! We should. Let’s do that. Sounds nice. Mmhm.”

Laughing at her nervousness, Chat squeezed her hand. “Calm down, it’s just me.”

“That’s exactly why it’s nerve-wracking! It’s _you!_ Adrien Agreste!” she threw her arms out to gesture to him. “Saying he wants to snuggle with me! It’s crazy!” She tugged on her pigtails with a squeal.

“Why?”

“B-Because! You’re a model! A famous model! W-Who would think you’d like me? I’m not famous or popular like Chloe is,” Marinette spouted. She knew it was all bullcrap. But, she was omitting the part about her having a crush on him.

Chat stuck out his tongue. “Bleh. You don’t like I’d actually like Chloe, do you? We’re friends, but Chloe isn’t my type. Also, we’ve known each other so long, she’s more like a sister to me than anything else.”

Hunching her shoulders, she nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

“You’re just saying all this because you think I’m _cute~”_ he teased.

Glaring at him, she pouted, crossing her leg over the other as she harrumphed. “You’re bringing that up again?”

“Of course,” he placed a hand on his chest. “Knowing that my lady thinks I’m cute makes my heart swell with joy.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

Chuckling nervously, Chat rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, I think my sharing time is over. It’s your turn.”

She gaped. “What! Adrien that’s not fair.”

Wagging a finger at her, he smirked. “My lady doth protest too much. You first… then maybe I’ll elaborate?”

Crossing her arms, Marinette frowned at him. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Chat went silent for a moment, his eyes serious with a meaningful glint in them. He seemed to be gathering his courage before he spoke. “Why were you so afraid of me knowing you were Ladybug?”

She felt herself deflate. “Oh,” she murmured. What was she going to tell him? She was afraid of being the Ladybug he hadn’t thought she was. Of course, she knows now that she was wrong for worrying over such a silly thing. Sighing, she spoke. “I didn’t want to be Ladybug at first. I thought I wasn’t good enough. When I failed and forgot to purify the akuma the first time, I didn’t think I was cut out for the job. I assumed that I would just keep messing up. I actually tried to give the earrings to Alya,” she said with a small chuckle. “But when Stoneheart captured you, I knew I had to help you. Alya was in danger too. I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. So, I took the earrings and decided to be Ladybug permanently. I was still scared, mind you. For the first few fights I was clumsy still, but I knew that I had you by my side, so it made everything easier.”

 Intertwining his fingers with her own, Chat gazed into her eyes with a smile. “You shouldn’t doubt how amazing you are. You have gained so much self-confidence since I met you… don’t let something like that all go away because you’re nervous about me.” She heard him gulp. “Why are you nervous around me, Marinette?”

Her breath hitched in her throat. She was certain he actually knew why, but the thought of admitting it out loud terrified her. Lowering her head, she rubbed her thumb against the back of his palm. “I think you know why…

With his free hand, Chat reached up and cupped her cheek. “I want to hear you say it, my lady.”

His thumb brushed across the skin under her eye. Marinette felt a whirling in the pit of her stomach. Heart pounding as she searched his eyes. She didn’t know when she had leaned closer to him. Forehead pressing to his, she closed her eyes. Maybe she wasn’t ready to say it out loud to him, but she could show him how much she cared for him. Nuzzling Chat’s cheek, her eyes met his. There was a gentle smile caressing his features. Glancing down at his lips and back up, she knew what she wanted. The action was obviously noted by her partner.

Chat released her hand, bringing his other gloved hand to hold her face as he leaned in. Breath mingling together, Marinette’s blood roared in her ears. Her entire body was on fire as his lips lightly brushed hers.

A scream from the city sent them flying apart.

Holding a hand to her chest, Marinette huffed as she tried to regain her senses. She looked over to see Chat in a similar position. Does Hawkmoth ever _sleep!?_ It felt as if cold water had just been splashed over her.

They… They almost _kissed!_ Adrien Agreste almost _kissed_ her!

“D-Duty calls, I guess.”

Throwing her yo-yo, Marinette swung towards the sound of the desperate cries for help.

That was certainly the most awkward akuma battle she had ever been a part of…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -maniacal laughter-


	7. Of Awkward Meetings and Love Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misleading title is misleading...

Nothing was right. The entire world seemed to be off kilter. Every move they made was out of sync. Each time Chat went to say something; her eyes went straight to his lips. There was blushing every time he made just a hint of eye contact with her. Marinette decided that it had been a miracle that the akuma was purified at all. 

Out of habit, the pair shared their traditional fist pound. The action caused Marinette to pause, gaping and staring at him. Just touching him had sent sparks up her spine. Laughing nervously, she tugged on one of her pigtails. “U-Uh. Yeah. So. That was…um… good work.” 

Blinking, Chat ruffled a hand through his hair, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Y-Yeah! You too.” 

“I’ll… see you at school?” 

He nodded frantically. “Yeah. School. We’ll see each other there.” 

“Yeah.” 

“My lady, I…” Chat began, chewing his lip anxiously as he glanced away before making brief, shy eye contact with her. “I had a good time with you.” 

Though her heart was pounding so loud she was sure most of Paris could hear it, Marinette smiled anyway. “Me too,” she sighed. 

Both fell silent for a moment, the air hanging awkwardly between them. Fidgeting slightly, she felt slightly uncomfortable under Chat’s unsure yet loving gaze. Marinette held up a hand, giving a weary wave. “W-Well, bye!” she squeaked before slinging her yo-yo and taking off to the nearest roof. 

That date certainly hadn’t gone as she has expected.

o~o~o~o

“What!? Are you kidding me!?” 

Marinette grimaced as Alya paced around the former’s room in absolute frustration. Giving a weak nod, Marinette replied. “I know. It’s bad, right?” 

“You’re telling me that you two almost kissed, then the akuma attacked so you ran off without thinking!? Marinette! He could’ve tried to protect you, or, or, I don’t know! But not  _ that! _ Girl, are you dense?” Alya groaned as she flopped into the computer chair. 

“Alya… it gets worse.” 

Alya glared, eyes squinting. “How could it get worse?” 

“I found him after the attack and could barely talk to him. I got so nervous after almost kissing him. He told me he had a good time, and I just agreed and blushed and left!” Marinette let out a whine before collapsing onto the chaise. Moaning to the fabric, she sniffled. “I’m so stupid, Alya! I messed everything up!” 

Alya surged from her seat, sitting next to Marinette and rubbing her on the back. “No, Marinette, you’re not stupid. Clueless? Yes. But stupid, no. You can fix this. We just have to put our heads together.” 

“Alya,” Marinette sat up to face her. “I finally just gathered up the courage to talk to Adrien like a normal human! Now, I’m back to square one!” 

Humming, Alya tapped her chin. “If he almost kissed you, then you realize that he feels the same way, right? I’m sure he’s hung up over it too. All you have to do is talk to him… and kiss him too if you want to.”

“I can’t even  _ look _ at him,” she pouted. 

“We’ll fix it, M, we’ll fix it.” 

“But how!?” Marinette cried, throwing her arms out in front of her. She really felt like she blew it this time. Adrien’s going to know how she feels about him now, but they hadn’t talked it through. They hadn’t confessed any feelings for each other, though they were both aware of it. Marinette felt her cheeks burn at the thought. 

“Just trust me,” Alya crossed her arms with a smirk. “I’ve got your back on this one.” 

Somehow, that didn’t make Marinette feel any better. 

o~o~o~o

Waking up the next morning, Marinette felt a sense of dread wash over her. School. She had to go to school and see Adrien. Her not-exactly boyfriend. She wanted him to be her boyfriend, and he knew she wanted him to be her boyfriend. They literally touched lips without actually kissing. Marinette’s stomach churned, bile burning in her throat at the thought of having to face him. 

She hadn’t realized finding out Adrien was Chat Noir wasn’t as hard as she thought. Instead, dancing around their feelings for each other was much more difficult. What were their boundaries? Could she just grab his face, pull him in, and kiss him square on the mouth with no qualms about it? Would he be okay with that? Would he kiss her back? Marinette squeaked at that thought as she squeezed the covers in her hand. 

Finally, she climbed out of her bed after overthinking the entire world for at least five minutes. Tikki floated up next to her, offering a comforting smile. “Everything will be okay, Marinette.” 

Smiling sadly back at her kwami, Marinette tried to agree. “I hope so, Tikki. I just don’t know how to go about this. I’ve had crushes on boys before, but never anything like this.” 

“Well, you know Adrien feels the same way you do, you wouldn’t have had such a good time together if not,” the kwami chimed as she perched on her chosen’s shoulder. 

With a sigh, Marinette nodded. “If you’re talking about us almost kissing, then yes, I know. It doesn’t make me feel less awkward.” She let out a groan before burying her face in her palms. “Oh no, I’m going to be a blushing mess when I see him today.” 

Tikki hummed, placing a paw to her chin in thought. “Don’t you think Adrien knows you well enough to know that? He’ll do his best to make you comfortable, for sure.” 

“Have you seen Adrien interact with girls he thinks are pretty? If there’s no Chat Noir mask, then he bumbles almost as much as I do.” 

“Except he can make full sentences.” 

Glowering at her kwami, Marinette puffed out her lip. “Tikki!” 

Tikki grinned with a shrug. “What? Remember all you used to say in front of Adrien was garbling?” 

Waving her off, Marinette frowned. “Yeah, yeah…” 

“You can do it, Marinette!” 

She sighed, glancing down at her phone, seeing at her last text to Adrien a few days ago. He’d sent her a few cat pictures since then, but she hadn’t responded. It was selfish of her to ignore him, but what could she do? She couldn’t pretend nothing had happened at all. Marinette picked up her backpack and motioned for Tikki as she popped open his purse. “Let’s go…” 

o~o~o~o

The scenario Marinette had planned for: Going to class with Alya and putting on a pleasant face to Adrien when she walked into the classroom. 

The scenario Marinette hadn’t planned for: Seeing Adrien standing right outside the school with Alya and Nino when she arrived. 

Of course, in her life, the scenario had been the latter. 

Adrien smiled shyly at her, rubbing the back of his neck with a small wave. “H-Hey, Marinette.” There was a tinge of pink kissing his cheeks. 

“H-Hi…” Marinette replied returning a tiny wave with her fingers. 

She could see immediately that he was just as nervous as she. Clenching and unclenching his palms, the boy was stiff in front of her. Adrien cleared his throat as he glanced away from her. “I… We haven’t really talked since…” 

Nodding furiously, Marinette squeaked. “Yes, I know. We will. I promise. I just…” she trailed off, glancing down at her pink, slippered shoes. 

He laughed, uneasiness clear in the tone. “It’s… fine, Marinette, really. I shouldn’t have overstepped. I’m sorry.” 

“No! It’s nothing like that!” she argued, waving her hands quickly in front of her. 

Adrien gaped at her, mouth forming a small ‘o’ of surprise. “I-I thought…” 

“We’ll talk later, okay?” Marinette sputtered before grabbing Alya by the arm and pulling her along with her. Her heart pounded feverishly in her chest. There was only so much of this she could take. 

When the two reached their lockers, Marinette banged her forehead against the metal. “I’m so stupid!” 

“Hey…” Alya cooed as she patted her friend on the shoulder, “We agreed you aren’t stupid, just clueless.” 

“Alya, I got so scared! I freaked out! There were so many people looking at us, and the atmosphere was so awkward! This is all my fault,” she groaned as she slid her back down the locker. 

Rolling her eyes, Alya crouched down in front of her. “Hey, look, we’ll fix it, alright? You and I will go meet up at the park for lunch, and the two of us will come up with a plan of action, sound good?” 

With a nod, Marinette smiled and hugged her friend. “Yes! Alya, you’re the best!” 

“Of course, girl. I’ve got your back.” 

After a few moments of Marinette rummaging through her locker, she finally gathered enough courage to make her way into the classroom. Adrien was already sitting there with Nino in tow. The former patted his back as the blond seemed to be deflated from the whole situation. 

There was a pang of guilt as Marinette saw the distraught expression on his face. That was her fault. She had caused that. If only she wasn’t so afraid to just tell him how she felt. They both knew it, yet they continued to dance around the subject as much as possible… which was, once again, her doing. 

She wanted to be with him… And to do that, it was time to step up and do what she had to. The question was: how? Would he be mad at her for the way she’s acted the past few days? Marinette wouldn’t blame him if he was upset with her. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t know how to deal with her emotions. 

As Marinette walked past his seat, she gulped in a breath. She reached over, placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinched and gazed at her, a shocked expression etched across his features. She simply gave him a sad smile, letting her fingertips linger against him as she made her way to her spot next to Alya. Adrien watched her, lips twitching slightly as the frown on his face dissipated. 

That was a start at least. Giving him a bit of reassurance should make him feel less down. All she wanted was for the two of them to be happy. Happy together as a couple ideally. Adrien was probably waiting on her to get comfortable, so she had to let him know that she was. She trusted him. 

Alya leaned over, whispering to Nino who nodded at whatever she was saying. When her friend sat back up, Marinette sent Alya a questioning stare, to which the latter just brushed her off, much to Marinette’s discretion. 

o~o~o~o

Class droned on and on… All Marinette wanted to do was be free of this place and go to the park with Alya. She always had good advice on how to handle situations with Adrien. She would know what to do. 

The bell rang, and as the students began to leave class, Nino stopped Adrien to speak with him it seemed. Marinette furrowed her brow slightly, wondering what that was about, but shrugged it off and continued to leave with Alya. 

“Oh shoot!” Alya yelped as she gazed down at her phone. “I have to run to my house and drop something off for my mom, you’ll have to head to the park without me.” 

Tilting her head, Marinette cocked a brow. “What? I can just go to your house with you.” 

Alya waved her hand. “No, no. It’s some family business. You’ll have to go without me. I’ll be there in no time, M. Just go wait on a bench or something, alright? Then we’ll get all of this Adrien mess sorted. And the two of you will live happily ever after.” 

“Isn’t that getting a little ahead of things?” 

Scoffing, she shook her head. “Whatever, girl. We both know that’s what you want. Anyway, be there in a bit, okay?” Alya ran off in the direction of her house, pecking on her cell phone quickly. 

Marinette sighed, taking off towards the park alone. Tikki peaked out of the purse with a smile. “I’m sure that you and Alya will come up with a great solution, Marinette. I hate seeing you so torn up about this.” 

“Me too, Tikki. I hated seeing Adrien so sad because of me. I just need to tell him the truth.” 

The kwami gave a nod and a hum of approval. “You’re right. You and Adrien work so well together. You had so much fun on your date. Don’t let your nervousness ruin that.” 

Deflating, Marinette found her way to a park bench, exhaling as she leaned her head against the backrest. “I know. I see it now, Tikki. Everything was so jumbled at the time, but now it’s all clear. It was hard for me to come to terms with it, but it’s the truth.” 

Smiling, Tikki nodded. “And what’s that?” 

“That I love Adrien, no matter the fact that he’s Chat Noir… If anything,” she gave a dreamy sigh. “If anything it’s made me love him more…” 

“That’s good to hear you say, my lady….” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you at the beginning of this chapter: "oh thank god, an update. that cliff hanger was awful." 
> 
> you now: "I HATE THIS BITCH." 
> 
> Don't worry. I'll stop dragging this crap out next chapter. You're welcome.


	8. The Real Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, the actual confession happens.

“That’s good to hear you say, my lady.”

Marinette’s heart leapt into her throat, body flinching at in response. “Adrien!” she squeaked. 

Gesturing to the empty space next to her with his head, he shrugged with a small smile. “May I take a seat?” 

She gave a shy nod, scooching over to make space for him. 

Adrien sat next to her, hands folding in his lap as he awkwardly fiddled with his thumbs, glancing away from her. “So…” 

Gulping down her nervousness, Marinette spoke. “I’m sorry.” 

He whipped his head to look at her. “What?” 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten so uncomfortable around you. I didn’t mean to make you feel like it was your fault. I just got shy… that’s all.” 

Adrien laughed, a small sigh of relief leaving his lips. “That’s good to hear. I thought that I had overstepped and pressured you.” 

Smiling shyly, she glanced at him. “You weren’t the only one who… you know.” 

“Leaned in for this kiss? I know…” 

Marinette’s felt her cheeks pink. “Yeah…” 

Slowly, his hand inched towards hers, fingers brushing the back of her palm idly. “All I wanted to do yesterday was video call you and talk to you… I didn’t realize I couldn’t even go twenty-four hours without talking to you.” 

“I missed you too,” she said as she turned her palm over flat against his, interlacing their fingers and gazing up at him as she did so.  

Rubbing the back of his neck, he let out a nervous chuckle. “I guess Hawkmoth certainly knows how to ruin a date?” 

Marinette snorted with a nod. “It was like two in the morning. Does he even sleep?” 

“He should. He’s probably an old grumpy man.”

“Two AM is certainly past his bedtime then.” 

“It’s past my bedtime too,” Adrien pointed out, poking her on the shoulder. 

Marinette hummed as she considered him. “Hm, doubtful, considering I see an alley cat roaming around Paris at late hours of the night,” she teased as she poked him on the nose. 

Adrien laughed before falling silent. His eyes boring into her own as he watched her. Reaching up, he cupped her cheek. “Marinette, I’ve been afraid to talk to you about this… because I was afraid of how you may have felt about me.” 

Her heart tightened in her chest as he seemed to gather his thoughts. Marinette knew exactly what was coming. This was it. The moment she’d been fretting over for almost a month now. 

Squeezing her fingers, Adrien leaned closer, his nose brushing hers lightly. “I love you, Marinette. I’ve loved you ever since the day I met you. Your kindness, bravery, wit, it’s all drawn me into everything that you are. I just… love you so much.”  

Her eyes widened, a blush blooming across her cheeks. “Adrien…” 

“You don’t have to say it back.” 

Leaning into his touch, she reached up to caress the hand that was already on her cheek. “But I want too… I love you too, Adrien.” 

His eyes lit up, green eyes bright as a grin split his cheeks. “You do? Really?” 

“Of course, I do, you silly kitten.” 

Adrien’s smile was blinding, making her heart pound in her chest as she saw the ecstatic look on his face. He was that excited because she loved him. He was  _ happy _ she loved him! “Marinette… A-About the kiss…” 

“Yes…?”

Letting go of her hand, he reached up for the other cheek, running his thumbs along the soft skin. He leaned back in, his nose touching hers. “Is… Can I…?” 

“Please…” 

Adrien pulled her in, pressing his lips to hers carefully. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he moved his arms down to wound around her waist. His mouth moved tenderly against hers, making Marinette melt against him. Her spine softening into a puddle of goo. Sighing through her nose, she danced her fingers across the hairs at the back of his neck. Adrien’s lips were soft and plush, tasting of mint. Never had Marinette thought that she would hear Adrien Agreste whimper against her, but he did as he pulled her flush against him. 

A loud wolf whistle from across the park broke the pair apart. Jumping away, Marinette shot a look to the sound, only to see Nino and Alya hooping from afar. She glanced back at Adrien who simply burst out into laughter. Marinette followed in suit, giggling as she shyly buried her face into his shoulder with embarrassment. 

Adrien smiled, waving to his friends. “I take it that you two had something to do with this?” he called. 

“You know it, dude!” Nino shouted back. 

He snorted and shook his head as he turned his attention back to the girl buried against his chest. 

Marinette peaked from his shirt, looking up at him with wide bluebell eyes. “What does this make us, then?” 

“Well, that depends… what do you want us to be?” 

Sitting up, Marinette cupped his hands in hers. “I’d like to be your girlfriend if you’ll have me.” 

Squeezing her fingers, he beamed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, my lady.” 

 

o~o~o~o

 

Adrien was on cloud nine when he walked inside the large doors of his home. He knew he had to tell his father about his relationship with Marinette. A fact he was completely dreading. Nathalie was waiting for him as he entered

“Welcome home, Adrien.” 

“Hi Nathalie, is my father around?” he asked, trying to hold back his smile threatening to burst across his cheeks. 

“He’s in his office, is this important?” 

Nodding quickly, he shuffled his feet. “Yes. It’s something Father told me to tell him immediately when it occurred.” 

Nathalie quirked a brow, a knowing glint in her eye. “Oh, I see.” 

Rocking on his heel, Adrien hummed in agreement. “Yes, so if I could please see him that would be great.” 

“I’ll inform him that you’re in need of speaking to him,” she said as she started towards his office. 

Adrien bounced on his toes as he trailed behind her. Maybe he shouldn’t have seemed as giddy as he was, it was probably a dead giveaway that he had asked a girl out. ...Well, more like professed his undying love for her. Following Nathalie to his father’s office, he tried to calm down the nervousness taking over his body. Heart pounding and limbs trembling, he watched as Nathalie knocked on the door and stepped in to talk to his father. Adrien was growing antsy, he knew. Swaying from one foot to the other, he watched the door intensely. He couldn’t make out anything they were saying, unfortunately. 

Nathalie opened the door, nodding at him. “You can come in, but don’t be too long,” she said, as she gestured into the office. 

With a nod of understanding, Adrien stepped into the office, flinching as the door shut behind him. All excitement he had felt just drained from his body at the sight of his father’s serious gaze. 

“What is it, son? What is so important?” 

“I… I, um…” Adrien glanced around nervously, body stiff. Gulping, he watched as his father squinted at glare at him. 

“I’m in the middle of a very important contract. What is it that you had to tell me?” 

Swallowing his hesitance, Adrien blurted out his words. “Marinette’s my girlfriend now.” 

Gabriel folded his hands under his chin, a frown evident on his face. “Ah, I see, didn’t I tell you to inform me before such a thing happened?” 

Adrien wiggled his fingers in an attempt to shake out his nerves. He had had a hunch his father wouldn’t be as approving to the relationship as he had hoped. Gabriel liked Marinette, he knew that, but he wasn’t sure if it was enough. “I know, but--everything just fell into place. It was an opportunity I couldn’t mess up.” 

“I see. Did this happen today?” 

He nodded quickly. “Yes, Father! That’s why I decided to tell you as soon as I got home. I didn’t want to hide it from you.” 

Humming, Gabriel straightened his glasses as he sat up in his chair. “Well, I would have prefered to know beforehand, however, since you didn’t plan to keep it a secret from me then I’ll allow this relationship to continue.” 

Adrien’s face lit up at his words. “Really, Father? Oh, thank you!” 

Holding up a finger, Gabriel hushed him. “Although, this could hurt your image, so you cannot make this public just yet. A lot of our sales are based on your appearance to young girls. If they found out you have a girlfriend, that could change the way they see you. So, for right now, I ask that you and Ms. Dupain-Cheng keep your relationship out of the public eye, is that clear?” 

“Yes, Father! Crystal clear! I’ll do whatever it takes to get your approval of her,” Adrien stormed around the desk, wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s neck. “Thank you!” 

Hesitantly returning the hug, he nodded. “Yes, now see to it that you get to your piano lessons. They start in five minutes.” 

Beaming, Adrien agreed. “Yes, sir. Thank you!” With that, he practically skipped out of his father’s office. He immediately went for his phone as soon as he reached his room. 

 

**_Adrien: My father actually said it was okay that we’re dating!_ **

 

Adrien sat against his door, smiling from ear to ear as he sent the text. His excitement was uncontainable, making him feel like bursting at the seams.

Plagg flew out of his shirt, crossing his arms. “Well, look at you, lover boy, it seems that your old man is being reasonable for once.” 

“I know!” Adrien chimed with a smile. “I can’t believe it, honestly. I’m sure there’s a catch somewhere.” 

“Well, the catch is that no one can know. You have to keep it a secret.” 

Scoffing, he brushed off the kwami’s comment. “Plagg, I think I’m more than capable of keeping a secret, don’t you?” 

“You couldn’t keep it a secret from Marinette,” Plagg deadpanned, staring flatly at the boy. 

“Marinette has the same secret. She doesn’t count,” he retorted with a pout. 

“Sureee….” Plagg snarked with a roll of his eyes. 

Adrien glowered at the creature before a buzz from his phone distracted him from the conversation. 

 

_ Marinette: :O That’s great! What exactly did he say?  _

**_Adrien: We have to keep it a secret for now is that okay?_ **

_ Marinette: We’re used to keeping secrets by now aren’t we?  _

**_Adrien: Yea… that’s what I figured too._ **

_ Marinette: Speaking of secrets… want to meet me at the Effiel past your bedtime tonight, Mister Model?  _

**_Adrien: Of course, my lady. ;)_ **

 

o~o~o~o

 

When Adrien heard feet patter next to him on the railing, he turned to look up at his new girlfriend with a grin. “Hey, little lady, come here often?” 

Ladybug crossed her arms with a roll of her eyes. “Oh, please. Gag me.” 

His lips twitched, obviously holding back a laugh. “That can be arranged if you’re into that sort of thing.” 

Plopping down next to him, she shoved him with a gasp. “Adrien Agreste!” Her cheeks flushed as she squeaked, hiding her face in her hands. 

Laughing, he nudged her. “Calm down, it was a joke.” 

“I’ll say! All I’ve done is kiss you and now you’re trying to hang me from the ceiling,” she laughed with a flick to his cat ear. 

He jumped, puffing at her. “Hey, again, if that’s something you’re into….” 

She groaned, covering her ears with her palms. “Ugh, when did you get so dirty minded?” 

“I’ve been like this for a while. I just never had a victim to test it on,” Adrien chimed with a smirk. 

Ladybug frowned. “I should have known when you made the jokes about… semen.” 

He grinned with a shrug. “Hey, we were discussing bodily fluids, were we not?” 

Holding up a hand, she shook her head. “Nope. No. We are not going down this road again.” 

Adrien wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer so her legs lay over his. “So, what road  _ do _ you want to go down then, my lady?” 

“I don’t know, what road did you have in mind?” she teased with a boop to his nose. 

Nuzzling her cheek, Adrien brushed his lips lightly against hers. She gasped against his skin at the contact. Glancing up with his bright lime eyes that seemed to shimmer in the dark with the contrast of his mask, he smiled as his breath mingled with hers. “Is kissing a good road for you?” 

Ladybug nodded with a hum. “Yeah, a good road.” 

Leaning forward, he felt her lashes flutter shut against his cheeks. His hands traveled upward to her hair as he tangled a clawed glove into her raven locks as he brought her mouth against his own. Kissing Marinette had quickly become his favorite thing in the world. Her lips meshed with his in a gentle dance. Fireworks exploded behind his eyes, and butterflies broke loose inside his gut. All he could think about was how he was entirely wrapped up in her. Her kiss. Her presence. Just being around her made him giddy. Ecstatic. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stayed there, entirely too focused on each other than the rest of Paris. The gazes she gave him with those bluebell eyes. Adrien memorized every look, learning what each one could possibly mean. Taking in every freckle on her skin, the way her flush spread across her cheeks, everything he could think of. Everything he could see that made her entirely just Marinette. 

Brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, he smiled. As she glanced up at him with those bluebell eyes he felt his heart swell in an instant. “I could definitely get used to this…” he said. 

Ladybug giggled at that with a nod. “Me too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here. Take this. You're welcome. 
> 
> Okay, so from here on out expect terrible jokes and awkward teenagers figuring out how hormones work. Also, I'm going to work on a few other stories for a bit, so this may not get updated as quickly as it has been. I'll be back soon!


	9. A Dinner Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Adrien straight up falls on his ass.

Being a couple in secret was a lot harder than Adrien had intended it would be, especially under the watchful eye of Chloe, Lila, and Sabrina all of the time. Marinette sat next to Adrien on the bench inside of the school sketching in her drawing book as three pairs of beady eyes stared down at them.  He shifted uncomfortably under the gaze, leaning closer to his girlfriend to whisper to her. “Do they always look at you like that?”

Marinette idly glanced up at the trio before nodding. “Whenever you’re near me, yes. They know I like you, so I guess they’re making sure I don’t do anything.” She didn’t seem too bothered by the fact. Had she really gotten this accustomed to their hardened gaze, he wondered.

“Frankly, it’s none of their business, is it? I know Chloe can be nosy, but this is a little extreme,” he grumbled as he sunk down on the bench. He couldn’t help but find the stares a bit invasive. It was entirely frustrating that there was no way he could maybe sneak a quick kiss to her palm, or give her a flirtatious pun without anyone noticing.

Sighing, Marinette gave him a sympathetic smile. “I know, but it’s only been like this since we got close about a month ago. They must have gotten suspicious.”

Ah, but that made sense. The first day after their identities were revealed, Adrien scooped Marinette into a bear hug. That probably drew the attention of more than just Alya and Nino. It might have been a mistake, but he had been so excited to see her, he hadn’t really thought the actions through.

Adrien jutted out his bottom lip. “This sucks. I really want to touch you.”

Blinking, Marinette’s head whipped to face him, her face flushing quickly. “W-What?”

Adrien was confused for a moment before the gears quickly spun in his head before it dawned on him where his wording failed. Oh. That could have been taken a completely different direction…  “T-Touch as in holding your hand, hugging you, l-leaning on you… maybe, you leaning on me?” He just wanted physical affection was all. Nothing too extreme.

“O-Oh,” she nodded, a small smile twitching to her lips. Seeing her calmed expression relaxed his nerves. He hadn’t messed up as much as he thought. “You want me to lay my head on you shoulder, kitty?”

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Adrien shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a cuddly kitten.”

Marinette barked out a laugh. “Oh, yes. I can tell. A kitten that doesn’t understand personal space is more like it.”

Adrien gaped at her accusation. “Hey! Don’t act like you don’t like it when I get in your bubble. I see how you blush and try to hide it, Princess.” The nickname slipped out. Honest. That term of endearment was meant to stay between the two of them. Oops.

Nudging him, she hushed him. “Adrien! Not so loud!”

“You know you love me,” he cooed.

“Yes, I know, but nobody else is supposed to know!” she whispered harshly.

Holding his hands up in defeat, he caved to her whim. His lady was right afterall. If their secret relationship got out, his father might have his head. “Okay, fine. Did you tell Nino and Alya that they were sworn to secrecy?”

Marinette gave a nod with a hum. “Yep. I texted Alya, I’m sure she told Nino for us. She was a little miffed at first, but I told her this is just how things had to be right now.”

Adrien could hear the slight disappointment in her tone. Beaming at her, he tried to give a bit of reassurance. “I’m sure it won’t be like this forever. My father is strict, but he could always come around eventually.”

“I know, but I wish things were different,” she sighed.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he smiled. “Don’t worry, my lady. There’s always ways that we can spend time together without anyone knowing,” he brushed his thumb across her earring, her Miraculous, hoping that the hint was implying was getting across. “Right?”

With a giggle, Marinette’s cheeks turned a bit rosy as she agreed with his statement. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“We’ll have all the time in the world that way,” he murmured, gazing at her flushed face with admiration for her clear in his expression.

“Yes, we will,” she smirked before swatting away his hand. “Quit looking so enamored, Adrien, you’re going to blow our cover.”

Snickering, he arched a brow, a smarmy grin stretching across his face. “Which one?”

Marinette snorted and rolled her eyes affectionately before turning to her sketch pad to make a show of ignoring him. Anytime they teased and joked like this, it seemed that everything was in place for Adrien. He enjoyed tormenting her in the most loving way possible.

 

o~o~o~o

 

Adrien trailed behind Marinette as pair strode towards her parents’ bakery. Apparently, his lady hadn’t told her parents about their relationship, and he offered to come with her when she broke the news. He could tell she was nervous, but he wasn’t quite sure why. As Adrien came up beside her, he scooched his body close to hers and idly brushed his fingers against hers.

Marinette glanced up at him, bluebell eyes shining at him. With a shy smile that Adrien could only describe as utterly adorable, she intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing his palm reassuringly. He knew it was risky for them to hold hands in public like this, but they had done that before they were even together. If someone caught them, he knew he could brush it off as something they did often. Even other students could vouch for that.

While entering the bakery, Adrien could feel his own nerves going haywire. He knew the Dupain-Chengs liked him, sure, but that didn’t mean that they wanted him to date their daughter. For all he knew, there could be strict rules and guidelines on their side of the agreement as there was with his own father.

When Marinette opened the door, the bell above their heads chimed, causing Sabine to look up at the pair. Her eyes immediately locked on their woven together fingers. As she glanced back up at their faces, Adrien instantly stiffened. What did that mean!? Marinette gave him a reassuring squeeze before smiling at her mother. “Hey Maman, do you and Papa have time to speak for a moment?”

A knowing grin made it’s away across Sabine’s face as she nodded. “Of course, dear. We have all of the time in the world for the two of you,” she chimed before entering the door behind her.

Blinking, Adrien was stunned at her words. The two of you… Meaning _both_ of them. Together. As a pair. Sure, he expected her to know what was up when the two came in holding hands, but Sabine seemed entirely okay with it. Releasing a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, Adrien’s shoulders relaxed from their tense posture.

Marinette gave him a light bump to his shoulder with her own. “Hey, calm down, Kitty. My parents shouldn’t have any problem with the two of us dating. Honestly, they would probably even encourage it.”

“You really think so?” Adrien asked with a cock of a brow.

“I know so. Don’t think so much. This isn’t like a meeting with your father, I promise.”

She hadn’t meant for her words to hit him as hard as they had, he knew. But, it sure as hell felt she had slapped him across the face with the stinging statement. His father was a stern business man, much different than the quaint Dupain-Cheng bakery that felt so homey. If he was being honest with himself, he’d admit that Marinette’s house felt more like a home to him than his own did, and he hadn’t even visited too often.

Tom emerged from the kitchen with a bounce in his step, bounding over to the pair of them with a grin. “It’s about time, you two! I thought I’d never get to see the day!”

Marinette flushed slightly, glancing at Adrien as she did so. “Papa, don’t be embarrassing…”

Chuckling, Tom scooped both teens into his arms. Adrien was consumed with the warmth coating him from the larger man. The sensation sent tingles to his toes, a feeling he’d never felt before: fatherly affection. As that bomb washed over him, he was brought back to reality when Tom set the couple back onto the floor. Pulling out chairs at one of the tables, Tom patted the seats. “C’mon now you two, tell us the story. Don’t hold anything out on us.”

Adrien trotted after Marinette as she went to take a seat. Sabine approached the table, sitting down next to her husband, a friendly smile etched across her features. “Well, how’d this happen?”

Marinette glanced at him, reclaiming his hand underneath the table. As she swirled patterns across his skin with her thumb, he felt his high strung demeanor simply vanish into putty. “Well,” she began, giving him a small smile, “when we were trapped in that box together, Adrien helped me calmed down since I was panicking. After that, we took a walk home together, but you already knew all of that part of the story.”

Sabine nodded. “Yes, I do remember, you were quite late getting home that day.”

Giving a nervous laugh, Marinette continued. “Yeah, sorry about that again, but Adrien ended up giving me his number in case I needed him again… so we started texting and things took off from there.”

Adrien, finally finding his courage to speak, piped in. “Thank you for letting me have her over to my house. We spent a lot of time together, so it made us see how much we had in common.”  While they actually knew how much they had in common, he figured the lie would stick. Couldn’t have her parents be suspicious as to why the couple suddenly knew everything about each other.

Tom smirked, resting his chin on his hand. “Hmm, Marinette told us that trip was for a school project.”

Bristling, Marinette nodded. “I-It was, b-but Alya and Nino fell asleep before us, so Adrien and I stayed up talking for a while.”

Sabine giggled at her flustered daughter. “Yes, okay, continue.”

He wanted to bring up how wonderful their first date was… but they technically snuck out of their houses, so that was a no-go zone. Also, their first kiss—er… their _almost_ first kiss—was on the Eiffel Tower, so there wasn’t really a way to explain that either. True, people could visit the Tower, but it just might seem suspicious since that was a Ladybug and Chat Noir hang out spot.

“Well, I guess that’s about it…” Marinette drawled, looking to him for an answer.

But then, it hit him. The one part of their relationship that actually _did_ happen and Marinette and Adrien. “O-Oh, well, I did admit my feelings for you at the park. I guess, that’s the big part of our relationship, isn’t it?”

Both of her parents cooed and awed at his confession, making Adrien’s cheeks flare at the attention. Her parents really weren’t too upset about this entire ordeal, were they? Sabine reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “Aren’t you just a romantic?”

Marinette giggled at that. “He really is! He’s been trying to woo me since we were locked up in the box!” And even longer… but her parents didn’t need to know that part.

“Hey!” Adrien pouted, crossing his arms his arms and glaring at her. “It worked didn’t it?” he grumbled.

Poking his cheek, his girlfriend gave him a grin. “It did. You somehow managed to sweep me off my feet.”

Tom and Sabine simply smiled at the exchange. Adrien couldn’t help but feel a little bit embarrassed by the public displays of affection in front of them, but he figured if Marinette was comfortable with it, then he could too. He always felt at ease with his lady around, even if that included being touchy-feely in front of her parents.

“Well, Adrien, if you would like to join us for dinner, we’d be happy to have you,” Tom offered, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder.

Adrien waved a hand. “You don’t have to, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Sabine took his hand, giving it a squeeze. “Nonsense, we know how much Marinette adores you. This could give us the chance to get to know you too, right Tom?”

Adrien was at a loss for words, one from their kindness, and two because it was apparently so obvious that Marinette was crazy about him that even her parents could tell. Apparently, Marinette had picked up on the admission too since her cheeks were stained with a rosy red color. Turning his attention back to her parents eagerly awaiting for him to accept their invitation, he gave a curt nod. “If you’re really okay with it then I would have to ask my father. He only gave me permission to be here for a little while after school. My driver is supposed to pick me up soon.”

Nodding, Sabine smiled. “Of course, dear. Tom and I will get dinner started. If you don’t end up staying then there’s nothing wrong with us having a little leftovers.”

He was a little surprised at her words. Adrien had never eaten leftovers in his life as his chefs always made something new each evening. But… that wasn’t something he was going to say out loud in front of a family that prepared their own dinner. Maybe, he would have to get Marinette to share some leftovers with him, so he would understand why others seemed to have a taste for them.

Plucking his cell phone out of his pocket, Adrien made a call to Nathalie, practically begging his father’s assistant to let him stay at the Dupain-Chengs’ for dinner. If he was being honest, an evening with Marinette and her parents seemed much more inviting than a dinner alone in the mansion with no one to talk to except for Plagg. There were a few moments of mumbling while she spoke with his father. Adrien could hear through the phone that the man wasn’t too keen on the idea. However, Adrien let out a sigh of relief when Nathalie told him that it was okay if he stayed a few more hours as long as he was ready to go when the Gorilla arrived. “Thank you, Nathalie! Tell Father thank you for me too!” he excitedly called into the phone.

He bounced happily over to Marinette, nudging his head to hers and rubbing his cheek against her like a cat. “I can stay!” he cheered gleefully.

Marinette let out a giggle, rubbing her fingers through his blonde locks. “That’s great, Kitty. Want to play some video games upstairs while dinner cooks?”

Beaming, Adrien nodded swiftly, practically about to jump out of his skin at the thought of just spending more time with her. He knew it might be unhealthy to want to be almost literally joined at the hip with his lady, but he couldn’t help it. She made his entire world brighter and that was enough for him.

Marinette took his hand, pulling him towards the stairs. “Maman! We’re going to my room for a while if you need us!” she called as they started up the steps.

Sabine poked her head from inside the kitchen. “Okay! You two be good!”

“We will!” she called. Adrien honestly didn’t want to consider what implications her mother could have meant with such words.

o~o~o~o

 

He hadn’t known what exactly he expected. If Adrien really thought he could beat Marinette at any video game then he was obviously dreaming. Pressing the buttons as fast as he could, Adrien’s teeth grit with a snarl as he focused on battling Marinette’s bot. When the words GAME OVER flashed on the screen and Marinette’s score grew exponentially higher, he knew it was time to kick the can.

Rolling back in his chair, he gazed over at her. “I don’t even know why I try to beat you. It’s literally an impossible task.”

“I had to whoop you as revenge for beating me at basketball when we are at the arcade,” she responded proudly, sitting up straighter.

With a snort, Adrien shook his head. “That figures. I knew you had to have had some type of vendetta against me do me in that aggressively.”

 “Don’t worry, Kitten,” she rubbed her fingers through his hair. “I’ll have to go easy on you next time.”

“She’s fibbing,” a tiny voice chimed from the bed.

Marinette spun in the desk chair to glower at her kwami. “Tikki! Just eat your cookies,” she snorted.

He couldn’t keep in the laugh at bubbled out at the exchange. With his kwami in mind, Adrien tugged lightly at one her pigtails to get Marinette’s attention. When she spun in the chair to face him, he smiled at her. “Thanks, by the way, for keeping camembert here for Plagg. You really didn’t have to.”

Smiling, Marinette shook her head. “It’s no big deal. I never know when you’ll need me, so I just keep it here.”

“You expect me to come traipsing in through you’re balcony door, Bugaboo?” Adrien teased.

Giggling, she gave a lopsided shrug. “The door is always open. I know that things aren’t great with your father, Adrien. If you ever need me, I’m here for you, no matter what.”

Heart beating soundly, suddenly Adrien felt tightness in his chest. Her words told hold of him like never before. Sighing, he gazed at her with wide, curious eyes. “D-Do you mean that, Marinette?” he breathed.

Marinette’s brows furrowed, concern growing on her features. “Of course, I mean that. Why wouldn’t I, Adrien?”

Gulping, he stared down at his lap, clenching and unclenching his hands and fiddling around with his fingers. This girl was like no other. Never has anyone offered their home to him like this. A safe place to stay away from his own house when necessary. Tears pinpricked the corners of his eyes as he looked up into her bluebell eyes. “Honestly, no one has ever said anything like that before to me. N-No one has ever wanted to be there for me like that.”

Marinette visibly wilted before him. Reaching out, she cupped his cheek, rubbing across the skin beneath his eye. “Well, I’m here. And I’m offering.”

With a voice barely audible, a soft “thank you” left his lips as he admired her. She was an emblem of beauty, inside and out. “You’re amazing, Marinette.” It wasn’t the first time he’d spoken it out loud, he’d even said it to her face once before. But now, here in her room, where she knew that he was undeniably in love with her, everything seemed different. The implications meant so much more.

“No, Adrien. You’re amazing,” she replied, a soft smile kissing her cheeks.

He let out a breathy laugh at her response. She was always one to reassure him. His lady certainly wasn’t one to take compliments without returning them. Adrien reached out, twirling one of her stray raven locks between his fingers. “I love you, Marinette. You know that, right?”

Blinking shyly, she gazed up at him behind her lashes. “I do know that… I love you too, Adrien.”

Adrien wasn’t exactly sure when they had gotten so close to each other, but she was there before him, her nose almost brushing his own. Her gaze was so soft whenever she looked at him. There was something about that face that made him simply weak at the knees. His hand slipped from her baby hair near her ear to bury into her pigtails as he leaned in. Adrien glanced down at her plush, pink lips before meeting her eyes, asking permission. There was no need as Marinette surged forward herself, wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her lips to his. Adrien allowed his eyes to flutter closed, melting into her embrace. Her lips danced with his, taking him in. He was drowning in everything that was purely Marinette. She tasted like cookies, which he felt was fitting considering her kwami’s own sweet tooth. He was taken aback; however, when her tongue traced his lips, pleading for entrance.

Adrien pulled back, panting, face flushed as he gaped at her in surprise. Marinette’s own cheeks were a rosy red, most likely not only from their kissing session, but also from embarrassment. Shying away, she gazed at her lap. “S-Sorry, was that too much?”

Considering it, he thought maybe he had reacted too brashly. He definitely wanted to kiss her like that, but he was just surprised. Shaking his head, Adrien smiled. “No, sorry. I just didn’t know how to react.”

Marinette blinked, apparently stunned by this revelation. “O-Oh. So it’s okay if…we…?”

Catching his breath, Adrien nodded. “Yes,” he said a little too quickly. “Y-Yes, definitely.”

“Could we… Could we move to the chaise?” she asked, gesturing to the furniture behind him with a bob of her head.

“Yeah,” he sighed. Adrien tried not to overthink. She just wanted to be somewhere more comfortable, that’s all. It wasn’t anything more than that.

Taking his hand, she guided him towards the soft cushion and sat down beside him. Marinette twiddled her fingers, glancing up at him. He could sense her nervousness before she even spoke. “I’m honestly not sure how to start,” she murmured, unsure.

Adrien tucked two fingers under her chin, lifting her head. With a soft smile, he leaned in and nuzzled his nose to hers. “I do,” he said before capturing her lips again. His hands smoothed up her face, cupping her cheeks and keeping her near. He felt her arms wrap around his middle, tugging his body closer to her own. He wasn’t quite sure how Marinette basically ended up in his lap, but he certainly wasn’t complaining about it.

This time, she tried again, carefully nudging at his lips with her tongue. Adrien didn’t freak out this time, and decided to indulge in every delight his lady would give him. His mouth opened against hers, and her tongue snaked behind his teeth to tango with his own. He was sinking faster and faster into a trance. At that point he wasn’t even sure where his face ended and hers began. All of the feelings stirred inside his gut, pooling a heat there like he’d never experienced before.

Gasping for air, he pulled away. Breathing heavily and taking in Marinette’s flushed face and kiss swollen lips. It was a sight to behold, and one he could certainly get to use to. Her beauty held no bounds. She was truly a goddess in his eyes. Smiling, he couldn’t keep himself away from her. Adrien held her tightly as he began to pepper kisses on her cheeks, nose, and chin inciting adorable giggles from his lady. His kisses grew more feverish as he tasted more of her skin. He kissed along her jaw, behind her ear, before making his way down her neck. Reaching the junction of her collarbone, Adrien placed an open mouth kiss on the smooth skin there. Marinette clutched his shoulders and a moan bubbled out of her throat, surprising both of them.  

Holy. Shit. Now, if the activities beforehand hadn’t gotten him aroused, _that_ certainly did.

Adrien blinked owlishly at her, before smirking. “That was something.”

Blushing, Marinette swatted him on the shoulder, earning a chuckle from him. “Sh-Shut up! I didn’t know. No one’s ever kissed me there before.”

Taking her hand in his, Adrien placed a kiss to the back of her palm. “Well, I’m honored I’m the one who gets to discover your sweet spots, my lady.”

“You can’t say things like that, alley cat,” she teased as she pushed him back with a finger to his nose.

A knock at her trap door sent the pair flying apart in a panic. Adrien squawked and flailed, trying to regain his balance on the chaise with no avail. He clambered onto the floor, smacking his head on the wood as he did so.

Sabine poked her head in with a smile. “Hey, love bunnies. Ready to eat?”

Rubbing the now sore spot on his head, Adrien looked to Marinette with a smile. He knew that he must have looked ridiculous when he took his tumble to the floor. She laughed teasingly at his misfortune before answering her mother. “Yes. We’re ready.” Standing, she helped him up off the floor, still giggling.

Sabine waved for the two to follow her as she made her way back down the thin steps.

Marinette glanced over at him with a grin. “You’re a clumsy kitty, aren’t you?”

Snorting, Adrien cocked a brow, returning her knowing smirk. “Yeah, yeah. You’re one to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We getting a little steamy in here, amiright? -eyebrow wiggles- 
> 
> Yeah, here's an update after a month. I haven't felt like writing anything since Christmas, but I'm trying to get back in the swing. Hopefully, I'll this one updated and my other stories updated again soon.


	10. Loving Touch

“Oh, my God!” Alya squealed, bouncing on her toes in her best friend’s room. “I can’t believe it! You’re growing up, Marinette. Where did my shy baby go?”

Glaring at her, Marinette crossed her arms. “You’re teasing me.”

Alya gave an exasperated groan, throwing her arms up in disbelief. “Obviously! Girl, why aren’t you freaking out right now? You _made-out_ with Adrien Agreste! Boy of your dreams, hot cover model, literal _poster-boy._ And you’re cool as a cucumber? Where is the Marinette that I know?”

While she was trying to ignore Alya’s ranting and raving, Marinette knew she was right. And also knew her face was probably flushing darker by the second. “I-It was just kissing, Alya. You acted like he proposed, and I just told you we’re having our first child.”

“Is that something else you need to tell me? Did you guys do the deed without telling me?”

Marinette felt the heat flush all the way up to the tips of her ears. “What!? No!” It wasn’t like she hadn’t _thought_ about such actions with Adrien, but they were still figuring each other out. Besides, they had finally just kissed. They hadn’t been together that long. Jumping into bed might not be the right thing to do at such a stage in their relationship.

Alya let out a snort. “Girl, you know that was a joke.”

Huffing, Marinette glared at her best friend. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means…” Alya sighed and sat down on the chaise, encouraging Marinette to take a seat beside her. When she did, Alya wound an arm around her shoulder. “It means that you two are both far too innocent for me to actually believe that you guys did the deed.”

Marinette cocked a brow. “You obviously have not talked to Adrien that much. He _is_ best friends with Nino, you know.”

Alya chuckled at her, shaking her head. “Okay, Adrien Agreste is a sweet talker, but that boy has never seen a woman naked. Nino said he doesn’t even know if the dude has ever masturbated in his life.”

Nope! Red flag! Stop this right now! Jumping off the chaise, Marinette let out a squawk. “Alright! I reallllyy don’t like the fact that Nino is sharing _my_ boyfriend’s…. _sexual habits_ with you.”

“Honestly, Marinette, you’re overthinking this. This is something teenagers talk about. This is the age where we explore ourselves, right?”

Marinette groaned. “Are you trying to tell me to ‘explore’ things with Adrien because I am _not_ ready for that,” she retorted making air quotes as she did so.

Giving her a flat look, Alya rolled her eyes. “Hey, you’re the one who moaned to the heavens when blondie kissed your neck.”

“I didn’t _know_ that would happen!” she cried.

Standing up, Alya plopped a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “C’mon, this is all just teasing, don’t get so stressed out. It’s okay that we can talk about this stuff. You can trust me. I’m not trying to embarrass you, girl, but it’s alright to be freaked out.”

“Okay, so maybe it freaked me out a little when I… um.”

“Moaned like a girl in a porno?”

“Alya!”

Snickering, Alya waved her off as she sat on the chaise. “Did Adrien seem put off by it?”

Marinette pouted, crossing her arms in irritation. “No, he looked absolutely smug about it.”

“Then get him back.”

Blinking, she gaped at her friend. “What?”

“Kiss his neck too. See what makes him tick. It’s only fair, right?” Alya said with a shrug.

Marinette eyed her suspiciously. “Why do I feel like you have experience with this?”

“Because I do. I’ve already seen Nino naked, M.”

 _What!?_ How could her best friend withhold information like that!? She was absolutely flabbergasted by the nonchalant statement. “Why haven’t you told me!?”

Alya smirked. “Because I was too busy trying to help you get Adrien. He’s kind of the only boy you talk about, Marinette. Well, aside from Chat Noir at times. But, I just didn’t think it was a good time to bring it up until we got you with Adrien. It felt like I would have been bragging while you were alone.”

Well, she guessed that made sense. It did bother her that Alya didn’t want to tell her about her own relationship to spare Marinette’s feelings, but it was a reasonable excuse. Marinette couldn’t deny that seeing other couples prance about happily while she had been bitterly single wasn’t her fondest memory. That moping was in the past though. She did have Adrien now, and she was going to appreciate every second of it.

Maybe, Alya had a point. Finding out what made her Kitten tick didn’t seem like such a bad idea…

o~o~o~o

 

Marinette sat, adorned in her spots, on the very place of the Eiffel Tower where she almost kissed Adrien romantically for the first time. Leaning her head on the metal beside her, she gave a dreamy sigh. If only they had actually kissed that night. It would have saved a few days of awkward attempts at conversation and stolen glances.

But could she complain about how it all turned out?

No. Not at all.

She was beyond relieved to finally have Adrien as her own. Whether that was as himself or a Chat Noir, she didn’t care.

She heard a pair of boots plop down on the railing beside her. Turning, she gave her leather clad partner a smile. “You’re early.”

“You’re even earlier,” he teased with a smirk. He took a seat beside her, nudging her lightly with his shoulder. “Couldn’t wait to see me, huh, Bugaboo?”

Rolling her eyes affectionately, Marinette shook her head. “In your dreams, Kitty. Alya left earlier than I planned to go take care of her sisters, so I decided to come out for some fresh air.”

Chat winked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Uh huh. Sure thing, Marinette. It’s okay that you’re desperate to be in my presence.”

“You’re so full of it,” she retorted with a snort.

“You didn’t seem to mind when I was in _your_ presence in your room a few days ago,” he purred, breath suddenly close on her neck. When had he even scooted that close to her!?

Marinette yelped, pushing him back his nose. “Adrien! Calm down, alley cat.”

Snickering, Chat placed a small peck behind her ear, sending shivers up Marinette’s spine. He wound an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him. “I just missed you is all.”

Marinette gave him a flat look and crawled into his lap to get cozy. “It’s been two days… and I video chatted with you yesterday.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t get any kisses, and that’s a crime. A punishment most unbearable,” he groaned with an exaggerated sigh.

With a scoff, she shook her head. “I think _someone_ enjoyed themselves a little too much when they came to my house the other day?”

Cocking a brow underneath his mask, he grinned. “Oh, yeah? You and Alya had a good time?”

She frowned and flicked him on the forehead, making him whine in return. “Geez, you’re on one today, aren’t you?”

“All the better to tease you with, my _purr_ fect lady,” Chat cooed as he nuzzled his nose into her hair.

Marinette couldn’t say she was upset by all of his fondness. If anything, it made her stomach flip-flop about at the thought of him wanting to be around her so much. Her heart swelled at his affections more than anything. She couldn’t help that it made her all warm and fuzzy inside though. It was certainly something she’d never experienced before. But experiencing this love with Adrien was more than she could ask for.

He was really hard to resist, wasn’t he? She wanted to figure out how her kitty ticked, and if _this_ was the type of mood he was in… well… then maybe she could work with it. Putting up the best sultry front she could muster, she turned in Chat’s lap, straddling his hips.  “Well… should I just give the kitty his cream then?”

She was entirely pleased with the way his cheeks flushed as he glanced down at their change in position. “W- _W_ hat do you mean?” he asked with a crack in his voice.

He was nervous… Good. He should be. This boy embarrassed her so hard last time they were together; she just needed to return the favor. Just a _little_ bit.

Marinette slowly leaned forward, pressing her nose to his. “What do you _think_ I mean?”

“If it’s what I _think_ it is, then I’m all game,” Chat snarked with a grin.

 Ohhh… So Mister Suave was back now, was he? She just wanted to kiss that stupid shit-eating grin off his pretty pink face.

And so, she did.

Marinette pressed her mouth to Chat’s, cupping his cheek with one hand as her lips danced against him. She still didn’t know much about kissing, but she knew that when she kissed Adrien, it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. Cloud nine was an accurate way to describe the way her heart simply _sang_ from one small touch of his lips. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Marinette deepened their kiss, feeling butterflies flutter inside her stomach as she did so. Every single time she kissed this boy he tasted like mint and honey and it simply made her mind whirl. She couldn’t get enough of him. Of everything about him.

God, she absolutely _adored_ this boy.

Gently leaning back, Chat panted against her lips. His hot breath fanning her face seemed to drive her insane. He was absolutely flushed beneath his mask, and Marinette couldn’t help but feel a little smug about making him so flustered. He was so cute when he was trying to gather his senses after being kiss-drunk.

“You’re beautiful…” Chat sighed, gazing into her eyes.

Why was he so adorable!? It almost made her feel bad for purposely trying to work him up.

_…Almost._

Smiling softly, Marinette booped her boyfriend on the nose. “You’re pretty handsome too, Kitten,” she cooed.

“You flatter me, my lady,” he mumbled as he leaned his forehead onto her shoulder.

Pecking a kiss to his hair, Marinette ran her hand through the soft strands. “Maybe a little, but your ego is so big I don’t think it could swell anymore.”

Chat snorted in response, shaking his head, nose brushing against her neck as he did so. “I see what you think of me.”

Marinette let out a soft laugh. Glancing down, she noticed that in this position she had better access to his skin. She smirked to herself. Well, now she could take her revenge she’d been planning. Marinette placed a soft peck to his cheek first, starting out soft and slow. Even though she was doing this intentionally, she didn’t want to torture her sweet, unsuspecting boyfriend. As she peppered kisses down his face, under his jaw, and down his neck, Chat let out a shaky sigh. When her lips met place where his suit met skin, she felt his breath hitch. His body stiffened against her.

“...Adrien?” she whispered.

“Mhmm?” he replied in a daze. Oh, no… Did she frazzle is poor kitty brain already? She hadn’t even done that much to him yet. He really was a sensitive boy, wasn’t he?

Leaning back, she gave him a quick kiss. “You okay?”

Chat’s eyes slipped closed, shoulders slumped, and a stupid, dopey smile stretched across his lips. He seemed so satisfied with such little touching. “Yeah…”

“Can I kiss you some more?” she asked innocently.

“You can do whatever you want to me, my lady.”

Marinette cocked a brow at him. “Oh? Really, now?”

His eyes popped open, a darker flush spreading across his cheeks. “U-Uh! I mean! Er…”

Laughing at his blubbering, Marinette took pity on her poor kitty. He used to react kindly to her own babbling, the least she could do would be to do the same for him. “It’s okay. I know what you meant.”

Chat glanced away from her for a moment. “Th-That offer does stand however you want it...” he drawled, before waving his hands in front of him. “Maybe not right now, but someday. Maybe soon, maybe in the future, but whenever it is, I want it to be with you.”

Her heart pounded in her chest at his words. She suspected that was the truth, but actually hearing the words come out of his mouth was entirely different. Adrien Agreste just implied that he wanted to lose his virginity to _her_. _What!?_

Marinette gaped at him, cheeks turning a bright pink. “R-Really? Are you sure?”

Brows furrowing under his mask, Chat tilted his head at her questioningly. “Why wouldn’t I be? Marinette, I love you. Of course, I want to spend my first everything with you. You know that, don’t you?”

Dammit. She was supposed to be flustering him not the other way around! And yet, here she was: her blood roaring in her ears from as the palpitations in her chest speed up tremendously. He was so sweet! And cute! And ughhhh!!! Why did he _do_ this to her!?

“Marinette…” he cooed, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. “I adore you. I want everything with you, if you’ll have me. I know that we might be considered too young to really be in love, but we’re too young to be saving Paris on a daily basis too,” he tenderly ran his thumb across her hand as he spoke. “You mean the world to me. I just want you to know that.”

“Adrien…” she whimpered. Her eyes weld with tears at his sudden declaration. How did she end up here? They went from teasing banter, to a hot make-out, and to now having sweet love confessions. This boy took her on an emotional rollercoaster, but she couldn’t find it in herself to even complain.

She blanched forward, wrapping herself around him, capturing his lips in another passionate kiss. This one was different, however. It was much more delicate. Full of love and admiration. His gloved fingers threaded into her raven locks, lips roughly dancing against hers. She was desperate for his touch. Desperate to express to him how much she loved him too.

Alya may have said that the two of them weren’t ready for anything too extreme, but now, feeling this heat and affection, she wasn’t sure if that was too far away. She wanted to be with Adrien in every way she could. He loved her. He was entirely _in love_ with her. The two of them didn’t need to rush, but maybe there wasn’t anything wrong with their relationship moving faster than she originally expected…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahh... This is another filler chapter. With some foreshadowing. I'm not too crazy about this chapter, but here's some development, I guess? 
> 
> Hopefully, I'll update faster with a decent chapter next time.


	11. Midnight Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, Adrien creams his pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, what you've all been waiting for... some smut!

Marinette sat at her work desk, clad in her pink polka-dot tank and pajamas pants as she worked tediously on the jacket she was crafting. Adrien’s birthday was right around the corner, and she’d been working so hard to create a Ladybug and Chat Noir themed ensemble for him. She was doing her best to take attributes from each of their superhero personas and form a perfect blend of the two. While Marinette was fully aware that her lovey dovey boyfriend would be excited about _anything_ he received from her, she wanted to ensure that the present was actually something he would fawn over.

Ever since the pair had started dating, Adrien had always tried to spoil her with the smallest things. Recently, he’d started slipping little love notes into her locker or backpack when she wasn’t looking. He really was a sneaky kitten. But if her reactions made him feel loved and appreciated, then she couldn’t find it in herself to complain one bit.

Marinette was surprisingly jarred from her thoughts at the sound of tapping on her trap door. With a yelp, she turned to her kwami, who was enthralled with the television, with wide, panicked eyes. “Tikki!” she cried in a harsh whisper.

The little, red kwami picked up on the situation. “Hide it, Marinette!”

Quickly, Marinette swung open the desk drawer and shoved the fabric in as much as she could. As she tried to camouflage the gift, Tikki fluttered her way up to the trap door. “Give her just a second, Adrien!” she called up to the boy. Slamming the drawer shut, she let out a relieved sigh and gave Tikki a thumbs up. The kwami unlatched the trap door, allowing her hero-clad boyfriend to drop in.

“What was all the ruckus?” he asked with a curious tilt of his head.

Marinette just shook her head. “It’s nothing. My room was just a big mess, messier than usual, and I just wanted to get some things put away before you came inside, that’s all.”

Adrien obviously wasn’t buying that excuse when he cocked a brow under his mask and looked at her oddly. “Are you sure?”

“Yep! Sure as pie!” she replied with an overly exerted grin. Inwardly, she groaned at her response. _‘Sure as pie?’ How stupid!_

Snorting at her, Adrien shook his head. “Okay, my lady, whatever you say.” Taking a seat on the chaise, he seemed to relax. “Claws in.” Green light enveloped him, traveling up his body, taking away the skin tight suit and revealing plaid pajamas and a t-shirt. When the light zapped his hair back to Adrien’s style, he opened his emerald eyes. Plagg stared mournfully at his chosen. It wasn’t like Plagg to detransform and not immediately ask for camembert. Marinette noticed that something obviously was off.

Scrunching her brow, she focused on him, noticing his eyes were a heavy with pink poof at the bottom. “What happened?” she asked, concern clear in her voice. She knew something had to have happened with his father for him to look so down. She hadn’t noticed it behind his mask, but now the signs were crystal clear.

Adrien gazed up at her, eyes glazed. “Father used to threaten that I would have to leave school when I misbehave… but now, he’s using you. Anytime I misstep or do something he doesn’t want, he threatens to make me break up with you. I thought he was lightening up on me, but it’s like he only allowed me this happiness, so he can rip it away anytime he wants. I’m so tired of being controlled like this.”

“Hey,” Marinette began in a soothing tone. She sat down next to him on the chaise, taking her hand in hers. “Your father can’t stop us from being together, you know that, right?” Slowly, she ran her thumb across his ring, feeling the energy serge from it. “He may have control over Adrien Agreste, but he has no control over Chat Noir. I love you, and I’m going to stay with you no matter what hardships your father may try to put us through. I’ll sneak out as Ladybug every night if I have to, so that I can see you… and give you kisses,” she cooed with a peck to his cheek.

He smiled slightly, obviously unable to keep his frown around her. “You’re amazing, Marinette.”

“I think I’ve heard that once or twice before…” she hummed.

Laughing, he wound an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he nuzzled into her hair. “Good, because you deserve to hear it over and over.”

Marinette smiled in response, placing a kiss to his hand as he normally would do to her. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she rested against him, watching his chest fall up and down in a slow rhythm. Sometimes this was just what he needed. He was so deprived of affection since his mother disappeared, and Marinette did her best to give Adrien all of the attention he needed. The poor boy was so miserable being cooped up in his house all of the time. That’s why she always wanted to make sure she called him out to meet her on the Eiffel Tower as much as she could manage. Or even just called to ask him about the homework they had, even if she had already completed it, she would ask for his help just to make him feel needed.

In the few months they’d been together, she’d learned so much more about him. He worshipped the ground she walked on, and while that made Marinette feel entirely special, she made sure Adrien had his moments of wanting too. He never felt wanted at home. Only on some occasions would his father pay attention to him. So, she did everything in her power to please the poor, neglected boy.

Sighing, she was removed from her thoughts as Adrien gave a small peck to the top of her head. She squeezed his fingers between her own. “You don’t deserve the way your father treats you, you know that, right?”

“I know…” he croaked weakly. She knew that he did know that, but the insecurity was always in his voice when she told him.

“You are amazing too, Adrien. You deserve the best. You are such a good person. You wouldn’t have been chosen to be Chat Noir if you didn’t have a good heart and head on your shoulders. Always remember that. You’re a hero.” There was a sniffle above her. She removed her head from his shoulder to see watery emerald eyes gazing at her. Giving him a sympathetic smile, Marinette cooed. “Oh, my sweet kitty…”

Pulling his head to her chest, she laid both of them down on the chaise. Adrien’s mop of blonde hair tickled her chin as she ran her hand through the strands. He slowly hugged around her middle, rubbing his cheek against the exposed skin of her shoulders. It was dangerous wearing this tank top around him, honestly. Adrien wasn’t very good at resisting skin contact. And the last time he’d kissed her neck, well… that went a _certain way._ However, her boyfriend was heavily touched starved and if he wanted to cuddle, then by God she would let him.

Marinette gazed down at him as she tangled her fingers in his blonde locks, watching as he smiled comfortably, the small tears in his eyes cascading down his face before he seemed to run out of the waterworks. She felt vibrations against her stomach, the purr, that the two recently discovered, rumbled soothingly in his chest. How did she get so lucky to have such an adorable boy? They’d been through so much in such a small amount of time. She was grateful for him though. Within the last few months, Adrien had really become her rock. And at times like this, she repaid him by being his.

Timidly, he placed a small kiss to her shoulder blade, causing her to squeak in response. Lifting his head up, he grinned a shit-eating Chat Noir grin. “Too much?” he snickered.

Flushing, Marinette glanced away. “N-No. You just surprised me, that’s all.”

Adrien let out a hum, tracing his fingers across her back as he did so. “Are you _paw_ sitive?” he teased, pressing another kiss to her exposed skin.

Giggling, she rolled her eyes, pushing him back by the bridge of his nose. “Someone is getting a little touchy.”

“I need healing, my lady. Your touch protects me from all internal wounds,” Adrien cooed as he pushed himself up to hover over her.

“Oh, yeah. I’m sure it does.”

Pressing a quick peck to her forehead, he grinned. “It does. I swear. Cat’s honor.”

“Adrien, if you want to kiss me, you know you don’t have to fish for it every time, right? I’m not going to complain if you do,” Marinette chided with a snicker.

With a small blush, Adrien let out a shy chuckle. “Yeah, I know. But I just need my princess’ permission to enter the castle.”

“…What castle are you _entering_ , Kitty?”

His mouth fell open, gaping at her with a scandalized stare. “My lady! So perverse!” he cried sitting up back on his haunches.

Marinette barked a laugh, sitting up from beneath him. “Hey, you’re the one who made the analogy,” she replied gesturing an arm at him.

“I know! I didn’t mean it like _that!_ ” he cried, utterly flabbergasted. His cheeks were so rosy, and Marinette was sure that hers were too.

She knew she was torturing the poor boy, but she couldn’t resist keeping the charade going. “What am I supposed to think? A few weeks ago you implied you wanted to have sex with me.”

“W-Well, _yeah_ , but not at this very minute.”

“Why not?” she blurted. Both froze at her words, staring stunned at one another. Marinette had regretted the words as soon as they slipped past her lips. Sometimes when teasing her kitty, her brain filter apparently malfunctions. She wasn’t going to deny that she thought about Adrien that way, even before they were together. She even acted on the feelings, on occasion. But admitting that to Adrien was far too mortifying. “F-Forget I said that,” she sputtered, hiding her, now beet red face, behind her palms.

Adrien was silent for a moment. And she couldn’t blame him. They had agreed to wait on this matter a few weeks ago, and now she’s bringing it up again. She blamed it on the sweet collarbone kisses he gave her moments before. It apparently turned her brain turn to melted putty.

The look on his face was till utterly dumbfounded. “How on _earth_ am I supposed to forget you said that?”

“I didn’t mean it!” she insisted.

Scoffing, he shook his head. “Obviously, part of you had to have meant it or else you wouldn’t have said it.”

Face flushing darker, Marinette groaned as she curled her legs in towards her chest, hugging her legs and burying her face in her knees. “It’s nothing, forget it.”

She heard his body shift, and his weight come closer to her. “Hey,” he murmured softly, prying her fingers away from their position wound around her legs. Marinette yelped when he suddenly had her legs in his hands and yanked her into his lap with ease. She kept her head shamefully hung as he wound an arm around her back. Tucking two fingers beneath her chin, he lifted her head up. “Marinette, it’s okay.”

“Not it’s not,” she whimpered. God, she was so embarrassed. Was this instant karma for making the sex joke in the first place?

He chuckled lightly. “It _is_ , my lady. You just caught me off guard is all. B-But I have to know… Is that something you’ve actually thought about?”

Glancing away, she couldn’t meet his eyes. “S-Sometimes. I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have made a joke like that.”

“I’ve thought about it too, okay? There are nights when you’re on my mind, and I can’t help myself. I don’t know much about these things, but I’m willing to learn for you. _With_ you,” Adrien admitted, cheeks pink. It meant a lot to her that he would come clean about such a thing. She knew her boyfriend was pretty timid when it came to these talks.

She met his stare. “R-Really?”

“You’re beautiful, Marinette,” he said with a shy, embarrassed smile. “I can’t resist the temptation _all_ of the time.”

“S-So, if we wanted to start taking things slow…?”

“I wouldn’t object.”

Her eyes watered at his kindness. Adrien was always so kind and gentle to her. She should have expected he’d be the same even in situations like this. “Adrien…”

Her boyfriend simply smiled, running a hand through her tousled pigtails. Gently, he tugged the ribbons from her hair, letting it fall loose across her shoulders. Adrien continued to swirl her raven locks through his fingers. “How did I get so lucky to have you?”

Giggling, Marinette felt herself ease. “I think I’m the lucky one, you’re an actual model.”

Laughter bubbled from his lips. “Honestly, we know who should really be a model between the two of us,” he teased, still giggling. “You are drop dead gorgeous, and sometimes I can’t believe I get to call you mine.”

Marinette snickered, booping her boyfriend on the nose. “Aren’t you just a sweet talker?”

“You know what I’m even sweeter at?” Adrien beamed, pulling her flush against him.

Humming, she cocked a brow at him with a teasing smile, running her fingers across his cheeks. “Mhm, what?”

“Kitten kisses.”

Adrien took her lips against his own, cupping her cheek with one of his palms. Lightly, he caressed her, running a thumb across the skin beneath her eye. Her boyfriend always had a way of turning her to goop in the simplest ways. He knew how she ticked at this point, where she was weak. It wasn’t fair, really. When Adrien peppered kisses across her skin, she should’ve known it was coming really. He pecked that _spot_ on her neck again, making Marinette have to hold in her groan of approval. Adrien must’ve noticed her restraint as she heard him snicker lightly against her skin. “You’re so cute,” he cooed.

Pushing him back by his nose, Marinette frowned. “That’s not fair. I don’t know if you have any spots like that,” she grumbled.

“Then by all means, my lady, you certainly have permission to find out,” Adrien said with a grin.

Ugh, he was such a flirt when he wanted to be. He was honestly the most frustrating boy she’d ever dealt with. She loved him, of course, but jeez, he was a force to be reckoned with sometimes.  

Eyeing him carefully, Marinette leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his nape. She heard him sigh as his shoulders relaxed. His purring rumbled through his chest, soothing Marinette’s own nerves. She was utterly terrified to take these steps with Adrien. Of course, there were a few times the pair had almost gotten a little too carried away, but trying to do such actions _intentionally_ was a totally different story.

She continued to press kisses across his collarbone before trailing up his neck. She pecked below his chin and across his cheek before reaching the skin around his ear. Marinette hummed, pressing as kiss right behind his ear. Adrien yelped, facing flushing as he stiffened beneath her. Leaning back, she took in the sight of her panicked kitty. “Found it,” she giggled, far too proud of herself for finding a tender spot.

He reached a hand up and rubbed the sensitive spot with wide eyes. “Y-Yeah. You did,” he squeaked.

“You okay?”

Adrien nodded weakly. “Mhmm…”

Smiling, Marinette captured his lips with her own once more. Dancing her lips against his in a sweet, tender display of affection. Her heart swelled from the contact as his hands traveled down her waist to her hips and back up again. She could feel the feather light touches of his fingertips trail across her clothing. She wasn’t exactly sure what clicked in her brain, but it was as if a switch had flipped. The calm and gentle pecks were no more, as she took his lips between her teeth earning her a light moan in response. Marinette just wanted to melt into him, turn into putty for him to mold how he wished. His lips were so sweet, and his touch even sweeter as his fingers slowly dug into her skin.

While her earlier teasing had been meant to make her kitty sweat, maybe it had gotten her a bit riled up as well. Especially after he’d kissed her sweet spot moments before. Suddenly, it was if she couldn’t get enough of him. She just wanted more and more. All anxieties and overthoughts currently gone from her frazzled brain and all she could process was the feeling of his mouth connected with hers. She let out a quiet moan of approval when his hands slowly made their way beneath the rim of her tank. His thumbs idly ran over her waist, tracing her hipbones in soft movements. Marinette could feel herself falling under his spell. And the further she fell, the less she wanted to come out of it.

Next thing she knew, her boyfriend was tugging her into his lap. She let out a small squeak of surprise, earning Adrien’s attention. Leaning back, he cocked a brow at her. “You okay?”

“Yep,” she answered too quickly before kissing him again. She didn’t have time for his concern, even though she appreciated it. All she wanted was his mouth, his kiss, his touch. Anything he was willing to give her in this moment. The previous minutes of teasing had her far too worked up to think about anything else.

Gingerly, Marinette took one Adrien’s hands, guiding it slowly upward to expose the skin of her taught stomach. His eyes popped open, pulling away and pressing his forehead to hers. “Are you sure?”

“Y-Yeah,” she said with a blush. “There’s no harm in just a little bit of touching, right? We’ll still take it slow. No complete nudity,” she snorted.

Adrien chuckled, his warm breath caressing her cheeks. “Okay, whatever my lady wants.”

Marinette buried her face in his shoulder as his fingers journeyed upwards, leaving her skin tingly in their wake. She tried to calm herself, tried to make her breathing slow… but this was something she’d dreamed about with this boy and to have that dream actually become reality was entirely overwhelming.

He nosed her hair, pressing a kiss to her crown as his hands ascended until reaching the skin beneath her breasts, making Marinette croon in response. She could feel him smile against her hair. “No bra?”

“I’m in pajamas. Bras aren’t for sleeping,” she retorted.

Adrien barked out a laugh, giving a tiny nod in agreement. “Fair enough.”

He carefully rubbed his thumbs across the underside of her chest, lightly pressing the soft flesh there. Marinette struggled to keep her nerves in check at the feeling of his gentle brushes of her skin. Every caress set her ablaze. Her entire being was on fire, heat pooling in her stomach. She sighed at the tender touch. Finally, she gazed up at him, blue eyes wide, pleading for more than just teasing strokes.

Seeming to understand her hint, Adrien slowly moved upward, cupping her breasts in his palms. Gently, he kneaded her soft mounds, giving an occasional squeeze that made Marinette absolutely weak. She continued in vain to keep her breathing under control. To prevent any unwanted sounds to escape past her lips. They were still learning, exploring, and she could be very loud without even knowing it. The last thing she wanted was for her parents to wake up at this very moment.

She sat up sluggishly, making sure not to accidently pry Adrien’s hands away from her skin. Leaning over him, she pressed her forehead back to his, their huffs of breath fanning across each other’s faces. She seized his lips again, however while this kiss was passionate, full of want, it was not desperate and needy as the previous ones had been. Their lips moved leisurely together as Adrien’s movements on her breast became a little rougher. He rolled his hand against the nub, making it harden beneath his palm. It was everything Marinette could do to keep her wits, the feeling of him becoming much, much more.

Adrien paused, gently disconnecting their mouths. “Hey… C-Can we move this to your bed?”

Flushing at the implications, Marinette leaned back, her tank still pulled up and breast exposed. “Y-Yeah, we can do that,” she said, fidgeting nervously.

“You first,” he said, not quite meeting her eye as he did so.

Marinette nodded, unsure whether or not to pull down her shirt. With a sudden burst of confidence, she pulled the tank completely off and over her lose hair. She chucked it to the floor and headed to the ladder that leads to her bed, not wanting to look at her boyfriend’s dumbfounded expression. She lay down on her bed, facing the ceiling with her eyes scrunched closed, trying to calm her nerves as the sound of Adrien climbing up after her echoed through her ears.

In almost an instant, he was hovering over her, straddling her hips with his thighs. “That was most unexpected of you, princess.”

Letting out a mortified squawk, Marinette covered her eyes. “I _know,_ but I thought it would get in the way, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right…” he cooed, prying her fingers away from her face. “But, I’m glad you’ve given me all of the access I need, my lady.”

“Shut up!” she squeaked, pushing him back by his shoulders.

“Aw… I was just _kitten_ around, my lady. Pawlease, let me continue what I started?” he chimed with a tilt of his head.

Letting out a giggle, she slowly peeped an eye open at him. “Do you think cat puns are going to get you further?”

Adrien hummed, leaning over her to press a few kisses on her cheek and towards her ear. “I was hoping,” he muttered close to her lobe.

Marinette allowed herself to relax, shoulders liquefying into the sheets beneath her. She knew he wanted to continue his actions from before, but neither knew where to start. He was making her feel so spoiled. Sighing, she gave a timid nod. “Okay…” she breathed.

Smiling, he gave a curt nod. He scattered kisses back down her neck, quickly sneaking a small kiss to her sensitive spot, making her gasp. As he continued to journey downward, he began lightly brushing his lips against her breast, glancing up for approval. Marinette bobbed her head, giving him the sign he wanted to proceed.

Adrien grinned against her skin, smooching her breasts with renewed gusto. He cupped the underside of her chest, massaging gently. Lightly, he flicked his tongue across the pert nub, making Marinette let out a quiet whimper, her fingers dug into sheets below her. He licked up and down, running his tongue along the hardening nub. All at once, he took the bud into his mouth, making Marinette gasp, her hands clenching into his hair. Suddenly, the sensations were almost too much for her. Her thighs rose up, clamping against his. Adrien drew a loud moan from her lips as he suckled, drawing more of her skin into his mouth, his other palm rubbing her opposite breast, stiffening the other nub.

Marinette couldn’t stop her hips from thrusting against him when he gave a particularly harder suck, letting out a cry as she did so. His head popped up, smirking at her as he gazed at her flushed cheeks. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” she managed out, breath still weak from his prior actions.

Slowly, Adrien drawled his fingers down her naked sides, peppering kisses to her breast again as he did so. Cupping her thighs, he pulled her upward, lifting her hips from the bed. He pressed his clothed erection against her heat, making both sigh at the sensation. “Is this okay, Marinette?” he asked, eyes desperately seeking permission. Marinette was more than willing to give it.

“Please, Adrien…” she gasped.

Bending over, he captured her lips with his, rutting his hips against her own. Marinette groaned, wounding her arms around his neck, keeping his lips attached to hers. Adrien ground against her, his clothed bulge rubbing her heat through her pajama pants in just the right way. Every thrust sending Marinette further and further over the edge. Warmth bubbled inside her, making her want more and more with every pass of his hips. Unable to take much more, she retreated from his mouth, breathing heavily and burying her face in his shoulder as Adrien weaved his fingers into her raven locks. The world was spinning around her. All she felt was the heat from Adrien’s body pressed against her own. Her brain focused on his movements: every thrust, every breath he took, every sigh he let out. His hand lightly tugged in her hair, making her groan.

“I love you…” he exhaled.

Marinette saw stars, bright and white behind her eyelids. Shuddering, she grasped her boyfriend like a life-line. Her heart stuttering as she went boneless on her mattress. Releasing a heavy sigh, she relaxed, opening her eyes to see a flushed, panting Adrien hovering over her. God, that was a beautiful sight she would never forget.

He kissed her, smiling against her lips. “Wow… The sounds you make are amazing.”

Blushing, she hid her face with a laugh. “Don’t say things like that, alley cat!”

Grabbing her in his arms, he flipped the pair over, laying Marinette on his chest as she squeaked. Nuzzling her, he barked out a chuckle. “But they are! You’re so cute!”

“Noo!” she cried, smacking him on the chest.

He snickered again, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Can we do that again sometime?”

“Oh, so you’re not just an alley cat, but a _horny_ alley cat?” Marinette teased.

“Hmm… Maybe so. But I can’t really complain if that’s the reward I get for it.”

Sitting up slightly, she cocked a brow. “Oh really? Is seducing me going to become a habit of your?”

Adrien ran his fingers through her hair with a small, obviously admiring her with an adoring look. “Of course, my lady. As long as you’ll have me.”

“Hmm,” Marinette hummed thoughtfully, tapping a finger to her chin. “Maybe, I’ll have to return the favor next time, huh, Kitty?”

The flushed look on Adrien’s face was priceless, and Marinette made sure to embed it into her brain until the end of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aye, nothing like some good ol' titty sucking and dry humping, right?? 
> 
> Remember when I said I was gonna update fast? PFTT. FUUUNNNNYY JOKE! 
> 
> Sorry, this chapter took so long guys, I was focusing on My Hero Academia fics for a while and taking a break here. I've also had a lot going on in my personal life that just took me away from writing. Thanks for being so patient! Again, sorry for the long wait! Hopefully, it won't take as long next time. 
> 
> (Also, I'm trying to update my other Miraculous fic soon if you want to go give it a read.)


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